Shadows of the Legends
by J. Lucy-Daisuke
Summary: Story Completed. A Sequel to Dragons & Phoenixes, Fathers & Daughters. Years after the last story, how has the group changed? New conflicts, new enemies, and a new group.
1. Still Crazy After all These Years

DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the Monkey Punch characters depicted in this fanfiction.

Welcome!

To the third installment in what had now become a trilogy! I hope that this offers many surprises, twists and turns for all of the readers, as many as the previous (season?) held. I'm pretty sure there will be some things that next to no one expected in here. A Yukiko and Toshiro romance? Hee hee…. We'll see how it goes, 'kay? Maybe they may even be other couplings, as well, hint, hint. Well, enjoy! 

Chapter One

A Little while in the Future: Still Crazy After All These Years

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'One, two, three, four,

Can I have a little more?

Five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten,

I love you,

A, B, C, D,

Can I bring my friend to tea?

E, F, G, H, I, J,

I love you,'

--The Beatles, _'All Together Now'_

A lanky figure lied on the old white couch of the Madrid pool hall, a fedora laid over the eyes of the mystery person. The pool hall patrons muttered to one another quietly as they looked downward at the white-suited being; he or she had been there for a great deal of time.

"You think he's dead?" one whispered, "He's been there for quite a while, now…"

"Nah, he's just sleeping… And that's a woman," another whispered back.

"A woman, eh? This could be fun," laughed one particularly large pool player. He slowly crept towards the sleeping figure, who appeared to be snoring gently on the couch. As he came within inches of her, he slowly stretched out his hands towards her. Just as he was about to wrap them about her neck, he came face to face with the barrel of a magnum.

"Unless you plan on losing anything vital, I suggest you move back a few paces," she mumbled. The man, stunned, slowly backed away from her. Just as he did, another lunged at her with a pool stick in hand. All watched in shocked silence as a shot fired, and the pool stick split into two pieces.

"What the hell is that?" asked one to another.

"Whatever it is, it's going to be dead in three seconds," growled the man who had tried to put his hands about her neck, "C'mon. She's got one gun that we could probably take from her easily. How hard could fighting one woman really be?"

"Yeah," the others nodded, and slowly circled her. The white-suited woman raised her fedora over her eyes, and then rolled her eyes.

"Well, I've gone and done it now…" she mumbled to herself. She fired a single shot, causing a ceiling fan to fall from the old roof and scaring the men out of their formation briefly, and ran out of their circle. The group of men blocked the different exits, and drew their own weapons at her.

"This ain't good," she mumbled to herself as they circled around her, now with their weapons drawn at her.

"Hey, I…" one man choked, and slowly fell to his knees. The others watched puzzled, and looked in horror as they saw a sword sticking out of his back. They all parted, and backed up against the walls. All save for the woman and white, who sat crouched on the ground, her gun drawn.

Her savior was Asian, and stood an unusual height of 6'1. His hair was down to his shoulders, and there was a natural part in it. Part of his bangs covered one of his dark brown eyes, which watched the pool hall players suspiciously. He wore a traditional gi and wooden sandals. The pants to the gi were light blue, and the top was of a matching light shade of blue with a white collar.

The gunwoman's eyes opened in shock as she realized who the man in front of her cleaning off his sword was. He wiped the sword off, and placed it back in its sheath, which he wore on his back. He wore two swords on his back, which was also unusual.

She smirked smugly, and put her gun back in its holster, "C'mon, I'll buy you a beer."

"Do you have gin?" he asked in a surprisingly thick Brooklyn accent.

"Sure," she nodded, and seated herself at the bar calmly while the pool players still stood against the wall and looked down at their dead comrade. She banged on the bar counter a few times, and the bartender nervously approached her, "A beer for me, and a gin for my friend here."

"Right away," he nodded, and quickly poured the gin into a shot and retrieved a beer from the refrigerator.

"So, how've you been?" he asked quietly as he sipped his gin.

"Can't complain. They have a nickname for me, here. White Devil," she looked back at the horrified pool players, "Ain't that right, fellas?"

"Yes!" all shouted hastily in response.

Later, Outside of the Bar:

"Thanks for the drink," Toshiro said with a smirk as he and Yukiko walked out of the bar, "How about a lift as my form of gratitude?"

"That'd be great! Walking in these shoes hurts after a while," Yukiko admitted. "Hey, uh, where's your car?" she inquired as she looked around the parking lot.

"I don't have one," Toshiro answered, and nodded towards the corner of the bar.

"You've got to be kidding me," Yukiko mumbled numbly as she laid eyes on the yellow Vespa, "What, did I catch you in the middle of your paper route or something?"

"Very funny. This can go 80 if needed," Toshiro responded.

"I thought a Vespa couldn't go over 60," said Yukiko in confusion.

"I modified it a little," Toshiro shrugged in response, "Come on, hop on."

"Well, you still don't have the car," Yukiko sighed in disappointment.

"And you still don't have the chest," Toshiro retorted. As he lifted his foot, Yukiko laid the tip of her shoe on his sandal. Toshiro toppled to the ground moments later.

He looked upward from the ground, and he watched, half amused, half annoyed, as Yukiko calmly walked over to the Vespa and climbed onto the back of the seat, "Well, are we going, or not?" she asked.

"We're going… Ouch…" he grumbled as he rose and hobbled over to the motorbike. He climbed on, and quickly pressed down the gas to its full potential. Yukiko quickly clutched onto the samurai's chest with one arm and held down her hat with her hand.

"You bastard! I could've fallen off and broken my ass!" Yukiko screamed angrily to Toshiro.

"Don't worry—With any luck, you would've fallen on your head!" Toshiro yelled over the rumbling of the Vespa.

A Local Park in Spain:

"So, we have to steal it back?" Yukiko concluded as she laid out on one of the metal benches of the Spanish park. She and Toshiro had found a series of benches, which circled a fountain, which was a statue of a famous Spanish soldier mounted on a horse, prepared for battle. Toshiro had purchased a bag of seeds, and calmly fed the pigeons while he explained everything to the reclined Yukiko.

"That's what Fuji told me on the phone," replied Toshiro quietly.

"How about your brother and sister? Are they in on the deal?"

"Mom will be glad to have Heiji out of the house, but I think Odori's too busy on the road to enlightenment to care," Toshiro answered.

A Spacious Home in Osaka:

"Heiji, it's for you!" Amaya Ishikawa yelled up the stairs to her son, who was still in his bedroom.

"Okay!" a voice screamed from the other side of the doors.

A young Asian man picked up the phone, only after putting the video game he had been playing on pause, "Hello? Oh, Bonjour Monsieur Prime Minister! The spyware, for the enemy's computer system? Ah, yes—It's all done! I'm going to ship it off to you in the morning! Yes, yes—Right into the back account. No, you know I don't take cash—We've been over this before. All right, all right…. Well, it was a pleasure doing business with you, too! Tell me how the missile program goes, all right? Okay, goodbye." Heiji Ishikawa sighed, and hung up the phone, "Nag, nag, nag… All these world superpowers ever do is nag at me… Ishikawa-Sama, please, we need the virus… Senor Ishikawa, spyware, por favor… Damn, it's enough to make me as batty as great-grandpa… Or Odori…"

There was a knock on the door, and Heiji pretended not to take notice of the knocking. A few moments later, the door was busted open, and a small Korean woman in a red and white gi stood in the midst of Heiji.

"Dinner is ready, oh Lord of the Nerds," said the tiny but vicious-looking girl. Her gi pants were white, whereas the top was red, with a white band. She wore her long hair back in a high ponytail, and bangs drooped over her glaring eyes. In her hand there was a familiar wooden sheathed sword; Zanteksu. He father had been teaching her how to wield the incredible blade, for Odori seemed to be the best at handling such a sword. Heiji was more technically inclined, although he was able to wield a blade if needed, and Toshiro used two swords, something which confused his father to an extent. What needed to be done should only take one swipe of one blade, Goemon had told him. Toshiro would take this advice lightly, however, and blame it on his father's medication.

"Odori, aren't we our usual ball of happy sunshine?" Heiji smirked sarcastically, "I'll be done in five minutes; I don't want to rush down there with the others. They're brutal."

"You're just weak," Odori countered.

"Hey, does it hurt when you smile? I'm just curious," Heiji smirked. Odori growled quietly, closed her eyes, mumbled a meditation and left Heiji.

Heiji chuckled to himself, and rose. He was only about 5'7, but he was the second-to-tallest child of the Ishikawas. He was slightly pudgy, but not enough to matter, and wore black-framed plastic glasses, due to mild astigmatism. He wore his hair much like his father and his older brother, but this was only due to the fact that any other hairstyles looked horrible on him. He wore a pair of sandals, blue pants, a white shirt, and a blue short-sleeve button up shirt over this, which usually went unbuttoned. Although he had been raised with traditional aspects, he took his mother's fascination with electronics. But he could give a glare that could stop anyone dead in their tracks, much like his father.

"Heiji, Odori, Toshiro called," said an older Amaya as Heiji walked down the stairs to eat dinner with the rest of his family. Heiji seated himself at the table, along with his three younger sisters (including Odori) and his two younger brothers. Odori was Korean, and Heiji's younger sisters were twin Vietnamese girls. His three brothers were Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino in origin. His mother and father had traveled all over Asia in order to have the big family they had both always wanted. And with the savings the two had accumulated over their years in the thieving business, they were able to live more than comfortably in their home with all of the children.

"Yeah, what'd he say?" asked Heiji and he reached for a bowl of rice on the table.

"Fuji called him. She says there's a job," Amaya replied nonchalantly as she walked into the kitchen and came out with a pill box, "Here, nearly forgot."

"I didn't. I was hoping you had," Goemon replied.

"Hey, I know it's a lot, but it's what the doctor said will help you to get better. Especially after what happened," Amaya replied solemnly.

"I won't take it for the doctors, but I'll take it for you," Goemon said as he opened the pillbox.

"Hey, at least you're not crazy, like the rest of your family," said Heiji lightly. Odori glared at her older brother, and considered stabbing him with her chopsticks.

"It is true," Goemon nodded as he swallowed a few of the pills, and downed them with water, "Odori, we will finish practicing after dinner."

"Yes, Papa," Odori nodded.

"Not too much now, though. I want you living at least until they're all graduated from college," Amaya warned.

"I'll call Toshiro back in a little bit, Mom. Say, where was he calling from, anyway?"

"Spain."

"Must've gone to see her, then," said Heiji with a smile, "He always goes running back to her in the end. Hey, do you think I should call Ally and Ryo?"

"Ally's probably at practice by now, and the gods only know where Ryo is. But you can try," Amaya answered.

Chicago, Illinois, at an ice rink:

"And LeFretti takes the puck from Jigen, and he SCORES!" the faceless announcer shouted over the microphone in the ice rink. The crowds of people cheered happily, and all on the other team seemed disappointed that the other team had scored, save for one player, who just looked like he wanted to kill LeFretti.

A single played skated up to LeFretti, and removed his glove, and extended his hand. LeFretti looked downward, smiled, and reached out to shake his opponent's hand, but in a surprise move, the other player put LeFretti into a headlock, and began to hit him over the head, all while LeFretti tried to escape. Even when he did escape, the other player began to beat LeFretti with his hockey stick, and yell at him. 

"Lousy son of a whore! You stole that puck from me, you no good, lying cheat! I'm gonna bash your brains in!" screamed the hockey player who was beating the other.

It took two referees to pull him off the ice, and three medics to pull LeFretti off of the ice.

"What in God's name do you think you were doing!? You're not a Mafia batboy, Jigen! You were playing hockey for a children's charity!" shouted the hot-tempered player's coach after the game, "I've got dozens of crying kids who watched you pummel their favorite player, and even more pissed off mothers who are convinced you should be committed!"

"He took the puck from me," Ally Jigen responded with a calm shrug as he removed his helmet and set it in his locker.

"You're good, but you have the worst damned temper I've ever seen!" screamed the coach, "What the hell am I gonna do with you!?"

"Let me get a shower," Ally answered as he removed his Blackhawks jersey and tossed it into the locker. The coach, frustrated by the player, stormed out of the locker room, banging at the lockers as he passed. Ally shrugged, and removed his mouthpiece, "Jeeze, I should not be playing a game like this when tooth problems run in the family…" he mumbled.

Ally looked almost eerily like his father, save for a few facts. He did not wear a beard, much like his father had, and instead of wearing his hair slicked back, he wore it with his bangs over his eyes, completely hiding his eyes from the average looker. He did have the same olive skin, though, as well as the pointy nose. He was also about the same height as his father.

After he showered, he changed into a pair of black dress shoes, a pair of black slacks, a white dress shirt, and a tie. He picked up his suit jacket, and whistled as he exited the locker room, oblivious to the leers of his fellow teammates.

"Maybe I should start wearing a hat; I wouldn't be able to see these creeps as easily," mumbled Ally as he vacated the hockey rink. He looked around outside, and noted all of the glaring mothers staring him down and all of the children of the mothers crying. When he got to his car, a familiar pink Alfa Romeo, he noticed that his tires had been slashed.

"That's great… Well, I would call Ryo or Yukiko, but they're off in Spain and Australia doing only God knows what…" he mumbled as he kicked at one of his tires, "That's my luck, I guess… We'll I'm hoofin' it to the house. I don't think anyone wants to give me a ride home right now… Unless it's in the trunk…"

Ally returned later that evening to his family's all-too normal looking suburban home, and was first greeted by the family dog, Martha III. Ming came to the doorway moments later, smiling hopefully, "Hey, Ally, how was your day?"

"Beat up a hockey player in front of a large group of children…" Ally replied nonchalantly, "Hey, are we having Lo Mein for dinner?"

"Wait, wait, back up… You beat up a hockey player?" Ming choked.

"Yeah… Well, he kinda stole the puck from me, so I showed him that I didn't take too kindly to anyone stealing from me…" Ally replied.

"Jeeze… Your dad's going to kill you…" Ming groaned, "You have a temper almost as bad as mine… You've got to control it, Ally! It's going to get you into trouble yet! Each time you've gone off on a job with your dad or your sisters, you blow up on someone and nearly kill them and everyone else in the process!"

"I know, I know," Ally mumbled, "Hey, where is Dad, anyway?"

"Polishing his rifle collection in the basement," Ming answered, "Go in slowly! You don't want to scare him too badly! Especially when he's working with his weapons! He gets a little jumpy…"

"And that's why Martha's no longer a twin," Ally finished.

"Oh, and you got a call from Heiji!" Ming remembered, "He wants you to call him! Toshiro called him, and Fuji called Toshiro! She wants to go on a heist or something…"

"Really?" Ally smiled, "All right! Finally, some action! It's about damn time! I'm gonna go call Ryo!"

Sydney, Australia:

"Fire!" shouted an olive-skinned woman to the man working the clay pigeon launcher. The gunmen watched in shock as she fired at each of the clay pigeons, hitting each one with unbelievable accuracy.

"I've seen only one other person do that in my lifetime, and that was nearly thirty years ago…" mumbled one man.

"Yeah, that was my Daddy," she replied in a cool laugh as she reloaded her manual rifle.

"Your…."

"Yep. If I had a hat on, you'd recognize the resemblance," she chuckled as she clicked the chamber, and spun it around once, "Fire!" she yelled. They watched in awe as she continued hit the targets on sight.

"Excuse me, is there a Ryo here?" an attendant from the front desk asked.

"That'd be me," Ryo replied, placing her gun in its holster and walking with him back to the front counter.

"I'd ask her for a drink, but I'd be afraid of her shooting me," mumbled one of the gunmen. The others nodded numbly in agreement.

Ryo had taken much after mother, but some resemblance to her father was apparent. She had the same skin tone as her father, as well as his thick, wavy black hair and his widow's peak. She had acquired an attractive figure, and a cool personality, in her years. She wore numerous bracelets, light makeup, red pump heels, a red U-neck blouse, and tight denim blue jeans. Her hair was usually worn slicked back, and brushed her shoulders.

"Hello?" she inquired as she picked up the phone, "Hi, Ally! Fuji? Oh, really? You don't say… Well, I'll pack my bags right away, and I'll be out on the next flight to, where? The Bahamas? 'Kay. See you there. Oh, how'd your hockey game go? What to you mean… In front of who? Oh, Daisuke… Yukiko and I will talk to you later! Bye…"

The Bahamas, a few nights later, at a posh restaurant:

"Where are they?" Yukiko mumbled as she sat uncomfortably at the large dinner table. Both had worn their usual attire, not feeling the need to dress up for the event. Fuji had actually requested that they dress as they usually did.

"I can't believe you had me valet park my Vespa," Toshiro mumbled.

"Hey, I was just as embarrassed as you! Serves you right, for driving such a piece of crap... You'rea friggin' joke for a samurai. You sound like Joe Piesci and look like someone out of an Akira Kurosawa flick. You're like a badly dubbed samurai movie, you know that?"

"Quiet, already," Toshiro mumbled as he sipped his drink, "Don't look now—It's Heiji and Dori."

"I love how happy your sister always looks—Especially when she's around your brother," Yukiko chuckled.

"Hey, at least neither of them have been put in therapy before, much like your squirrel-hating brother…" Toshiro mumbled.

"Hey, Ally only shot three!"

"Before he was caught. He shoots animals—That's a sign of a serial killer," warned Toshiro.

"That's a sign of someone who was given a Smith and Wesson on the fifth birthday," Yukiko countered. Odori and Heiji seated themselves at the table, and after saying hello to Yukiko and Toshiro, they ordered their meals. Heiji was obviously embarrassed when Odori inquired to the waiter if they carried Miso soup.

"I honestly didn't think you would show, Odori," admitted Toshiro.

"Really? What about me, huh?" Heiji smiled. Toshiro remained silent, and looked downward at his wineglass. Yukiko coughed, and excused herself from the table.

"Toshiro, how's Julia?" inquired Odori. Toshiro sat there a few moments quietly before also excusing himself from the table silently.

"What'd I say?" Odori wondered out loud.

Toshiro opened the door to the balcony outside, and was shocked to see Yukiko smoking while looking out at the Bahamas beach, "What are you doing?"

"Hey, don't tell anyone, okay? No one knows," said Yukiko calmly, "You want one, Toshiro?"

"No, thanks," Toshiro replied as he leaned on the stone balcony, "The others will be coming soon. So finish the cigarette and let's hurry in, all right?"

"Okay," she nodded, and after a few more puffs of the cigarette, she threw it over the side of the balcony, and walked back in with him. Ally and Ryo had already arrived, and Ryo smiled as she watched the two sit down next to one another.

"Well, if it isn't the happy couple?" Ryo smirked wryly.

"Eh… Where's Fuji?" Yukiko asked, pulling her fedora over her eyes.

"Probably going to make a grand entrance any second, knowing her," Toshiro replied calmly. Moments later, there was a loud laughing sound, and Fujiko Lupin II made her grand entrance.

She looked almost exactly like Fujiko (including bust), save for a black hair color, which was a shade similar to her father's. Her personality was also much like her father's. She loved men almost as much as her father loved women. She wore red pair of high-heeled shoes, which matched her short V-neck red dress. Over her spaghetti-strapped dress she wore a blue denim jacket, which was long sleeved. Although the sleeves were long, the jacket itself was short in length.

"Sorry, guys. Just got back from a date with a couple of very lovely and very wealthy gentlemen," Fuji smirked as she seated herself in the center of them all, "Well, we're all here, now, so we best get down to business."

"Wait… What about Ari and Max?" Ally inquired.

Fuji glared, "They're off doing their own things… We don't need them, anyway. We all know how they are…. Well, fellas, what do you say we get our lobster dinners, and I explain to you why I gathered you all here."

"Sounds like a plan to me!" Ally laughed, "And it's better than going to court over assault charges any day!"

Fuji paused, "I want to know the story behind those assault charges, but let's wait until later for that… Right now, we have a lot to cover, and little time before Yukiko's drunk."

"Ha ha… Start talkin'," Yukiko demanded.

"Okay," Fuji nodded, and removed a folded sheet of paper from one of her jacket pockets. She rose over the table, and laid it over the round dining surface. 


	2. Shot in the Dark

DISCLAIMER: Don't own Lupin III, but I do, however, own most of the original characters in this fanfic. So, there!

Howdy!

Glad you guys liked the first chapter so much! That makes me happy! Yeah, I've been working on it a while… Tee hee… Well, I hope the last chapter gave everyone a lot of surprises, and I hope to keep surprising everyone with the upcoming chapters… As always, questions, comments, and suggestions are always appreciated!

Chapter Two

A Little While after: Shot in the Dark

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''Cos I'm the Taxman,

Yeah, I'm the taxman,

And workin' for no one, but me,

Taxman,'

--The Beatles, _'Taxman'_

Goldman's School for Accounting, San Francisco, California:

"Schimmel?"

"Here!"

"Jacobson?"

"Here!"

"Wishachnitz?"

"Here!"

"Zenigata?"

"He—Oh, just one second—Oh, oh, this is bad… Can someone get a—Crap, crap, CRAP!" a blonde-haired Asian yelled angrily as he watched the ink from his broken pen travel to other papers along the long table. The other pupils glared upward at Max Zenigata, who was desperately trying to avoid eye contact while cleaning the mess.

"Zenigata, I'd like to speak with you privately in my office…" sighed Mr. Goldman, who had been watching the class's performance that day. He had been warned about one student in particular. That student was Max Zenigata, the only man in the school who would go back and forth cursing in Yiddish and Japanese. Hearing him in the hall was unmistakable. 

Max looked upward and gulped hoarsely. When Mr. Goldman wanted to see someone, usually that person was never seen back in class again.

"Y-Yes, Sir," Max said, trying to hide his nervousness. After cleaning up the ink spill, he meekly walked down to Mr. Goldman's office, and anxiously awaited to be allowed in by Goldman's secretary. He nervously seated himself in the chair across from Goldman when he finally entered. Goldman sighed heavily as he seated himself at his desk, and opened Max's file, and then scanned it, occasionally looking upward at Max in a mixture of pity and disbelief.

"Max, it's come to my attention that—"

Max jumped out of his chair before Goldman could finish, and began to speak furiously in his defense, "Mr. Goldman, I'm so sorry! I know I haven't quite mastered accounting yet, but I'm sure with a few more lessons, I'll be able to—"

"No, Max."

"What?" Max sunk back in shock.

"I'm referring you to the offices of the International Police in—"

"INTERPOL!? You're referring me to INTERPOL!?" Max shrieked.

"Your father worked there, and retired with full honors, from what I understand. It even says here you went to the police academy, and passed. It also says you trained to be a Rabbi, and you dropped out of that. Something about an incident at a bris?"

"I, uh…. The Johansens' love their daughter, though!"

"They loved her more when she was still their son," Goldman retorted, closing the file, "Max, why are you here? You could be a successful police offic—"

"No, no…" Max laughed, "No way, am I going to be a cop. No way, no how!"

"All right, let me put this another way," Goldman sighed, and put his reading glasses on, "You're terrible at anything other than police work. You're like the eleventh plague upon any sort of work that's vaguely Jewish. It's like you didn't quite get that gene from your mother… But you sure do have your father's personalit—"

"Sir, if you excuse me, I do not have my father's personality!"

"You also have a tendency to not let people finish what they were saying," Goldman finished.

"I…."

"Here. Here's the paper. You go home, maybe talk with your parents, and sort it out," said Goldman, "I hope everything works out for you, Max. Let me know how you're doing. Take care, now."

"Yes, Mr. Goldman. Thank you very much," Max muttered quietly as he took the piece of paper and slowly walked out of the office and into the hallway. He waited until he was almost out to start wailing.

"I suck at everything I do except the thing I HATE! He told me I was a bad Jew! My principal, just told me, I sucked, at being a Jew! Well, I am only half, but that's besides the point! I hated police school, and I only went there to make Mom and Dad happy! It's not my fault I got an 'A' in everything in there! It's not my fault I got nervous and my hand slipped at the Johansen's bris! Mr. Johansen had TWO boys, already! Oh, Lord, what am I gonna do?" Max moaned.

"Quit bitchin', for one!" a student yelled back. Max jumped in surprise, and then sighed heavily. With his head hung, he exited the accounting school with the address of INTERPOL written on a sheet of paper in his pocket. Later that night, after speaking with both of his parents, Max Zenigata hopped on the first plane to Paris, headed towards the offices of INTERPOL.

A Restaurant in the Bahamas:

"Well, Odori's had her fill of liquor," mumbled Fuji as she noted the snoring samurai, whose head was down on the table.

"She never could hold it…" Ryo added as she fiddled with her gold-chain necklace.

"So, Ryo, tell me—What do you think about the plan? You rarely lie to me, and you're one of the more level-headed ones here," Fuji inquired.

"I think you're out of your mind, Fujiko," Ryo replied as she leaned forward in her chair.

"I knew you'd say that," Fuji smiled, "You and your siblings—Eternal optimists."

"You and your brother—Eternal opposites," Ryo retorted.

"I'd rather keep Ari out of our conversations. I'd like to keep my meal, thanks," Fuji replied, "Hey, where are Yukiko and Toshiro? They just walked out and left us!"

"Well, they went to the balcony, and then they came back, and Toshiro said something about going to the beach to walk…." Heiji replied, "Looks like Toshi-san's going to have a little bit of fun in the Bahamas. Nice little moonlight walk… I swear, he's all work, all girls."

"What!?" Ally rose from his seat, "What do you mean?"

"Toshiro has had a crush on Yukiko for years! Don't you remember that, or were you hit in the head with the hockey puck a few too many times?" Heiji said.

"Oh my God! What if he's trying to take advantage of my sister! That lousy S.O.B.! I've gotta go save Yuki!" Ally yelled, and then bolted out of the restaurant.

All of the remaining members sat there, in stunned silence, until Fuji spoke, "You know, I think it's possible that Ally does have some form of brain damage…."

Outside, on the Beach:

"Why'd you take your shoes off? You wear sandals, anyway!" Yukiko laughed.

"I like the sand," Toshiro answered, "I miss the beach, sometimes. Julia and I rarely got out to it."

"How is Julie, anyway? I don't hear you talk about her, much," said Yukiko. She noted Toshiro's features, and how they darkened when she spoke of Julia, "Toshiro, is something wrong? Did somethin' happen?" She laid a hand on his back, and looked up from her hat empathetically.

Toshiro looked upward at Yukiko, "She—"

"You get your paws off of my sister, you creep!" both heard. Yukiko watched in horror as Ally tackled Toshiro, and both fell into the ocean.

"Ally! Stop!" Yukiko shouted, and pried Ally off.

"Yuki, he didn't do anything, did he?" Ally inquired frantically.

"What!? No, of course not!" Yukiko replied, "Ally, he's not some kind of pervert!"

"That's not what I heard…" Ally answered, crossing his arms and looking downward at Toshiro, who was resting on his elbows in the shallow ocean water.

Yukiko held her hand to her head as she felt a headache come on, "Ally, just go…."

"Yuki, I—"

"GO!" snapped Yukiko angrily.

"I… I think I oughta go," Ally stuttered a he looked nervously at the glared Yukiko gave him. He backed up a few paces, and then took off running back into the restaurant.

"That little creep!" Yukiko growled.

"Ah, he meant well," Toshiro replied as he rose from the sand, soaking wet. He stood there a few moments, a strange look on his face.

"Hey, uh, what's up?" asked Yukiko. She watched as Toshiro reached into his shirt, and retrieved a still-flopping fish. Yukiko laughed loudly, and Toshiro quietly threw the fish back into the ocean. Toshiro slowly walked onto the beach, and Yukiko smirked, removed her jacket, and laid it over his shoulders. Toshiro looked at Yukiko in a mixture of confusion and shock.

"It's a little bit of a role reversal, but you look cold," Yukiko smiled. Toshiro sneezed, and Yukiko shook her head and laughed, "Let's get you into the hotel room, okay? Hopefully there aren't any other fish in your shirt, or pants, or whatever…."

"My pants? God, I hope not!" Toshiro gulped.

Yukiko laughed, "I missed you, you know that?"

"I figured," Toshiro sneezed again, and Yukiko reached over into one of her jacket pockets, and pulled out a red handkerchief.

"I wear it as a little touch of color," she laughed.

"I thought that was so the blood didn't stain as badly," Toshiro retorted, and then sneezed again, "I hate the saltwater…"

Later, the Women's Hotel Room:

"Hey, Yukiko, I wanted to talk to you…. About Toshiro…" said Fuji as either woman lied on their queen bed. Ryo was next to Fuji, finishing a crossword, and Odori was lying on a tatami mat on the floor, carefully polishing Zantetsu, which her father had given her in order to give the blade practice. Goemon tended to use the blade less and less, but this was not of his doing. Odori had an icepack on her head, due to the fact that she had an oncoming headache from her downing of almost a quarter bottle of sangria.

"What about him?" inquired Yukiko.

"He… He was really weird when I talked to him about this gig… He really didn't want to go, until I told him that the Rat Clan was involved…" said Fuji.

"Well, Toshiro's real mother was part of the Rat Clan," Odori reminded them in her still half-drunken tone.

"I know, I know… Could that be it?" Fuji wondered, "I don't know, but there's something going on with him…. Somethin's wrong…"

"Yeah, I felt it, too," Ryo admitted, "Especially when anyone mentions Julia to him…"

"Well, maybe they had a fight," Yukiko shrugged.

"I don't think it's that… I honestly don't," Fuji admitted, "Well, we're goin' to New York, anyway. That's where some of the head Rats are, now…"

"Right around his neighborhood, too," Ryo added.

"Whaddya mean? They'd hang out in a dump like his neighborhood?" Yukiko frowned, looking upward from her fedora.

"They moved up a while ago! Right, Dori?" Fuji asked, looking downward at Odori.

"My head feels like it has a dagger stuck in it…" Odori muttered.

The Men's Room:

"You sure you want to take the floor, Toshiro?" Heiji asked worriedly, "You haven't slept on a tatami mat in years, have you?"

"Sure I have! Whenever I passed out in the doorway after New Year's," Toshiro mumbled as he unrolled the mat.

"You're going to hurt your back," Heiji warned. Both looked over as they heard a clicking noise, and saw Ally on his bed, in his hockey jersey and pants, cleaning his sniper rifle. They both watched nervously as Ally looked through the seeker of the rifle, and smiled in satisfaction. He laid the gun down in its case, and then went to cleaning his Colt .45. Ryo had brought most of the guns, but had given them to Ally to clean. He by far did the best job cleaning them, although he himself preferred hand-to-hand combat. He also was an accomplished sniper, however, and carried about a Smith & Wesson, just in case.

Ally turned, and smiled, "How're you boys doin' this lovely evenin'?"

"Fishy," Toshiro replied curtly.

"I'm… Gonna go work on a program I've been developing…" Heiji said slowly, and rose from his bed over towards his computer equipment.

"And I'll clean Izanami and Izanagi," Toshiro added, referring to his two swords. He unstrapped the dual sheathes from his back and retrieved his sword cleaning kit.

"You named them?" Ally inquired, looking upward from his Colt.

"After the Shinto gods… Get in touch with your culture…" mumbled Toshiro.

"You shoulda named them Rudy and Donald—After the New York gods," Ally replied. Toshiro paid no attention to him, and unsheathed the 'female' sword, Izanami, first.

"I clean her, and clean her, and yet she always has a shadow on her…" mumbled Toshiro bittersweetly. He discontinued his polishing of the sword, sighed, rose, and walked out to the balcony. Heiji looked upward from his computer, frowned, and followed Toshiro out.

"Those two…" Ally mumbled to himself as he clicked the trigger on the Colt and spun it around his trigger finger a few times. He stood, walked over to a nearby window, and looked downward. A smile slowly crossed his face as he saw squirrels scampering about in a nearby park. He looked back at the sniper rifle in the violin-like case, and walked over to his bed. He snapped the case shut, and whistled as he exited the room. The opportunity was too good not to take.

"Hey, Toshiro, what's up, Bro?" asked Heiji in concern.

"It's… Heiji, are you still mad at me?"

"For what?"

"For not coming back, when…"

"Dad? Well, kinda, I'll admit… Odori's still kind of mad at you about that…." Heiji admitted. He turned to Toshiro, "He had a heart attack, Toshiro! Right in the middle of a heist! We had to work with Jigen and Lupin to bail his ass out of the hospital, where they had him under lock and key! He almost died in the middle of that!"

"What's his opinion of what I've done?" asked Toshiro.

"You're a samurai, and you guard the one you swore to protect. You swore to protect the city, so…" Heiji shrugged, "Why'd you come back now, though? Is it Yu—"

"No," Toshiro shook his head, and closed his eyes, "It's… It's not that… I just need some alone time, all right?"

"I—Okay," Heiji nodded, "You take your time, all right?"

"Yeah," Toshiro replied quietly, and watched Heiji exit. He looked outward at the expanse of dense tropical forest, and frowned. He missed the city a great deal… He missed his apartment, his birds, his friend and confidant… But not everything would be the same when he returned home.

"The Rat Clan…" Toshiro growled, and clutched onto the handle of the balcony, "They'll all pay… Especially her… I thought I could trust her, of all people! Julia, I'll never forgive her for what she did to you… I can't trust anyone, it seems…"

Suddenly, a few shots fired, and Toshiro jumped in startled surprise. Without giving a second though, he jumped to a nearby balcony, and managed to make his way down to the final balcony, where he was greeted by a nasty surprise. He heard yelling in the hotel room, and Toshiro was convinced this was where the shots also originated. The daring samurai burst through the glass door without thinking, and there was an ungodly scream seconds later. He had just mistaken the newlywed couple for the source of the gunshots. This was far from the truth.

"PERVERT!" the new wife screamed.

"Ow, ow! Dammit, lady, watch it!" Toshiro yelled as he exited the hotel room, "Sor—Sorry, Ma'am… Sir…"

"Come here! I'm not done with you, you cross-dressing peeping Tom!" the new husband shouted, and began to run after Toshiro.

Later:

"What in the hell happened to you?" Heiji mumbled.

"I got the crap beaten out of me with a stiletto heel…" Toshiro replied, "I'm not having a very good night…"

"Why don't you come in and rest? Ally's sleeping now… He mumbled something about squirrels when he came in, then got ready for bed, and passed out! It must be nice to be able to fall asleep that easily…"

"Hn… I'm going to follow his lead," Toshiro replied as he walked in, "Nothing else can happen to me if I'm asleep."

"Famous last words," Heiji chuckled in response.

Both prepared for bed, wished one another a good night, and prepared for what they thought would be an eventless sleep. They were wrong.

The windows to the hotel room slowly opened, and figures dressed completely in black scuttled into the room, and around the men. The story was the same for the women's room.

One of the figures silently removed a knife from a hidden pocket, and leaned inward to Toshiro. He raised the knife over the young man's chest, and went to sink it in. But it was stopped by two swords crossed over one another in an 'X' pattern. Toshiro smiled, shook his head, and jumped up. This disturbance awoke Heiji quickly, but not Ally, who was determined to sleep.

"How the hell can he sleep through this!?" Heiji yelled as he smacked one of the black figures in the side of the head with his laptop computer.

"Check the girls!" snapped Toshiro. Heiji nodded, jumped off and over one of the black-cloaked figures, and ran into the other room. Toshiro, meanwhile, tried to fight off the ninja-like figures by himself.

"Wake up!" Toshiro demanded Ally. Ally answered with a loud snore, and a slight shuffle in his bed, "Get the hell up, now!" Toshiro yelled as he backed against a wall, surrounded by the ninjas. He drew both swords, and the ninjas backed up slowly, but did not pull their own weapons back. Toshiro spun the two swords in defensive patterns as he scanned for an escape. Ally continued to sleep as one lunged for him, and Toshiro quickly guarded his own neck with one of his blades. He threw the ninja back, and he rolled over Heiji's bed and onto the floor. His sword landed inches from the sleeping Ally, who finally awoke when the blade fell in front of his head. Ally sprung up in bed, and looked over at Toshiro.

"What the—Why didn't you try to wake me up!?" Ally demanded.

"I tried—Boy, did I try," Toshiro replied as he made his way through the circle of ninjas with his swords. Three ninjas fell down in pain. One jumped up, and revealed throwing stars, but was quickly blown back by the bullet of a 45. Colt Executive. Toshiro looked over at Ally, who was smiling at his handiwork. A ninja tried to jump Ally from behind, but the Jigen family member heard the attacker, and drew his gun over his shoulder, and shot.

Toshiro, after snapping out of his stupor, continued to fight the ninjas, until there were none. The two then ran over to the women's room, where they were having their own difficulties. A ninja fell back into Ally as he entered, and he and Toshiro looked upward at the fighting Odori, Ryo, Fuji, Yukiko, and Heiji

Although Odori possessed Zantetsu, she also possessed a massive headache from a massive hangover, and was having trouble with judgement of distances. When she went to splice one ninja, she instead slashed the nightstand in half.

"This is the last time I drink out of the house!" she growled angrily as she gripped the handle of the blade.

Yukiko was having great success with keeping more ninjas from entering the compound by fending them off with her ever-faithful Combat Magnum. Heiji had a blade that he usually carried with him, and was using this to fight off the ninjas. But it was clear that hand-to-hand fighting was not the Ishikawa boy's strongpoint. Ryo and Fuji watched one another's backs as they fought off their own enemy. Ryo would fend off anyone trying to attack Fuji while Fuji did the same for Ryo. Toshiro and Ally joined the fighting, and soon all of the ninjas were either lying on the ground in the hotel room or lying on the ground on the concrete.

"Hello, room service?" Fuji inquired as she picked up the phone to the room, "Yeah, uh, could we get the manager up here? We've had a slight accident in two of the rooms… What? Oh, stains… Yes, I'm sure they will, too… Ur, eventually. Bye," she chuckled uneasily, and hung up the phone. She would pay the manager of the hotel handsomely to keep the incident quiet and follow her instructions on disposing of the trash.

"Who was that?" asked Heiji as he poked a body.

"That's the mark of the Rat Clan," Odori responded, nodding towards the symbol on the back of one ninja's gi.

"Yuki, lend me a cigarette," Ryo begged.

Yukiko looked at Ryo, stunned, "What do you mean? I, I…"

"We all know you have them… Hand 'em over," Ryo ordered tiredly. Yukiko lifted her white hat off of her head, and Toshiro realized, as she dug for the cigarettes, that this was the first time she had been without her hat since they had met one another again. Ryo shakily lit a cigarette, and shook her head as she surveyed the strewn out bodies. "Jesus… I thought we were supposed to be discreet… This is far from…"

"So were they," Toshiro replied.

"Hey, Toshiro, ain't you half Rat?" Ally inquired suspiciously. Toshiro's eyes opened a fraction, and he slowly turned to face Ally, whom, despite trying to look cool, could not help but seem untrusting of the samurai.

"You're not saying I had anything to do with this, are you?" Toshiro inquired.

"Nah, nah, I'm not. I'm just wondering if maybe you knew a few, that's all," Ally shrugged in response.

"I haven't had anything to do with the Rats since I was a baby, and if you ever even breath a word of them to me again, I'll make sure you won't be saying any words, much less breathing, for a long time!" snapped Toshiro.

"Where are you going?" Heiji inquired.

"Out," Toshiro snapped in simple response as he went to open the door.

"You know, Toshiro, it is sort of weird, how they knew we were in the Bahamas. I chose this place so they wouldn't find us," Fuji admitted. Toshiro looked at her in disgust, and stormed out of the hotel room.

Yukiko rose from her seat, and looked around angrily at the others, "I don't believe ANY of you! They tried to kill him, too, you know! We shouldn't go jumping to conclusions!"

"Yukiko, he's been acting fishy, ever since he got here," Fuji replied.

"That's because _someone_ had the bright-ass idea to throw him into the Caribbean!" Yukiko yelled in response, glaring at Ally, who shrunk back in response to his sister's cold glare, "And you two are his brother and sister! It's like I'm the only damn person here who'll defend him!" she huffed, and also exited the room.

And stood there in silence, and Fuji coughed uncomfortably, "We ought to start packing for the morning…"

"Yeah," the others nodded, and turned as they heard footsteps down the hall.

"There are dead squirrels all in the park around the hotel! Did you see it?" whispered one maid to another.

"No. Was it a cat?" asked the other.

"If a cat could shoot it with a gun, sure!" the other snapped, and then opened the bedroom door, and found the Lupin gang, along with all of the bodies, in the bedroom.

"We're filming a horror movie," Heiji explained, "Ur_, Blair Witch 3: Blair Witch Beaches…_" said Heiji reassuringly. Both stunned maids nodded numbly, and slowly closed the door again.

"Way to draw attention away from the scenes of death, Heiji-chan," Fuji laughed, and folded her arms behind her head.

"You know, if I had it my way, the Blair Witch 3 would be set in space…" said Odori.

"Please tell me it's because you're still drunk…" Ally muttered.

"And please tell me those dead squirrels aren't of your doing, Ally," Fuji added.

"I, uh… Gotta pack…" mumbled Ally.

"Someone going to check on the lovebirds? Someone other than Ally?" asked Fuji.

"They'll be okay," Ryo reassured Fuji, "Yukiko hurts any man who tries to make a move on her…"

"Have they ever?" inquired Heiji.

"Well, er, no… But…" Ryo sputtered.

"Never mind," Fuji sighed, "Let's get ready. Tomorrow morning we head to New York, and steal that scroll from the Rat Clan…"

"I hope they're okay…" Heiji said to himself in concern.


	3. Badge

DISCLAIMER: Don't own Lupin III. But you know that…

Hey!

Thanks for all of the positive reviews, again! The Julia mystery's killing most readers I know, hee hee hee. But don't worry—All questions shall be answered in due time! With summer coming up, I'm hoping to start work on other fanfics in addition to this one, as well as some of my original stuff, which I'll admit I've been abusing in recent months. Well, guys, enjoy for now! Hope to see you around soon! Bye!

Chapter Three

A Few Days Later: Badge

__

'He's a real Nowhere man,

Living in his Nowhere land,

Making all his Nowhere plans for Nobody,'

--The Beatles, _'Nowhere Man'_

INTERPOL HQ, Paris, France:

"Ma'am, am I at the right place? The INTERPOL offices?" Max Zenigata asked hopefully as he entered the waiting room.

"Yes, Dear. Go right in," she replied, nodding back at the offices, "It's a slow day."

"I need to see about a job," Max added.

"Well, right in the back, to the left," she answered. Max nodded his thanks, and went through the left door, and all the way down the hall, where the Commissioner's office was located. Max knocked at the door, and meekly entered when a voice ushered him in.

"How can I help you, Son?" asked the Commissioner.

"I'm looking for a job," Max replied.

"I'm sorry—We're all full right now and—Well, how about I take your name down, and call you in case we have any openings? What's your name?"

"Zenigata, Max," Max answered. The Commissioner stopped the reach he had begun to make for his pen, and looked upward at Max.

"Zenigata? As in, Koichi Zenigata? As in, the man who's responsible for the beginnings of my career! I think I just found an opening!" the Commissioner announced happily.

"Huh?" Max frowned in confusion.

"Many years ago, your father helped me to get a job at INTERPOL, giving out the mail! I told him, someday when I was the Commissioner of the place I would help people get jobs here, just as he helped me! It's wonderful to have you with us, Zenigata!"

Great, three seconds and I'm already my father, Max thought with a brief role of the eye, "Thank you, Sir," Max answered.

"We can have LeBlanc give you a tour of the place," said the Commissioner as he led Max out the door of the office.

"LeBlanc?" Max repeated.

"Leo LeBlanc, a translator here. He's intelligent, but extremely pedantic…" sighed the Commissioner sadly, "He came here about two years ago, seemingly distressed… I gave him a job out of pity, and he's been working in the back room ever since… Well, follow me…" he added.

"You know, you don't look like your father… Save for the eye color… But everything else is different about you…" the Commissioner admitted.

"Well, I've been told we have similar tastes in clothing," Max chuckled as he pushed up his wire-framed glasses. The young man wore a brown suit with a sky blue dress shirt and a tastefully-shaded blue tie, along with a pair of brown leather shoes. His hair was about as blonde as Natasha's, and he also inherited his mother's skin-tone, although he stood at the almost exact height of his father, which was about 5'9. He wore his hair somewhat long, but not long enough to fall over his ears.

"Here's his office," the Commissioner opened the door to Leo LeBlanc's office. Max looked around confusion as he was unable to find the said translator, but instead numerous books, stacks of papers…. And a knitting kit in one corner of the crowded office. A small radio was on, tuned in to older French songs. A soft whistling was heard amongst the castle of papers, and Max walked a few steps towards the covered desk, and peered downward into the paper palace. He saw the back of a purple jacket, apparently picking up a stack of papers from a crowded drawer.

"Er, hello?" Max coughed. The figure shot to attention quickly, hitting his head in the process.

"Ow! Orange du—Uh, how can I help you?" the tired translator sighed as he threw his tack of papers onto the desk in front of himself.

"I'm Max, Max Zenigata. The Commissioner sent me here…" said Max in a friendly tone.

"Oh, hi, Max, I'm--" Leo stopped dead, and his smile fell, "…Zenigata? Like, uh…"

"Yep… Him…" Max pointed over Leo's shoulder to an old picture on the wall. It was of the former Inspector Zenigata. Right next to Zenigata's picture was an old wanted poster for Lupin III. Leo coughed uncomfortably, and rose.

"S'cuse me…" Leo mumbled as he ran out and down the hall to the bathroom. Leo returned a few minutes later, ill looking. He fell back in an old leather chair, on another stack of papers, "Zenigata…"

"Hn?" frowned Max, "Yeah, I'm…"

"Would you like a drink?" asked Leo.

"Ur, sure…" Max replied, and watched as Leo rose and walked over to a minfridge hidden by papers. He pulled out two cans of root beer from the fridge, and tossed one to Max, and seated himself back in his rolling chair. While Max sat and drank his root beer, Leo laid it over his eyes, and groaned. Max took this time to study Leo's looks. Somehow, they struck a familiar chord with Max.

Leo was about an inch shorter than him, and was of mostly Asian origin. He wore brown leather loafers, tight black jeans, a black button-up shirt, a purple sports coat, and an orange tie. His hair was brown, and slicked back tightly on his head.

"You know, you'd look better with a buzz cut," Max admitted. Leo let another loud groan, and Max was taken aback by Leo's reaction, "What? You… Would…. Mr. LeBlanc, are you all right?"

"I've been better," admitted Leo, "Sorry, my eyes are hurting me… I'm learning Hebrew… Oi…"

"Hebrew! Hey, I'm Jewish! Well, half, at least… My other half's Japanese… I guess that makes me… Jewpanese! My mom would always say that!" said Max laughingly.

"You know Yiddish?" Leo inquired. Max nodded in response, and Leo sighed in relief, "Great. Then let's go get some files from intelligence down the hall… C'mon." Both walked out, and down the office. Along the way, they ran into the mail room clerk, who was busy pushing a cart down the hall. Neither really seemed to take notice as he continued to squeak down the hall, and Max laughed gently as he bumped into the cart.

"Sorry, I'm a little clumsy," Max laughed.

"Yeah, me, too," Leo admitted, "But hopefully we won't get into much trouble between the office and here!"

By the time the two returned back to Leo's office from intelligence, they had done over $20,000 worth of damage to the INTERPOL offices, and Leo somehow ended up with a strange form of tar in his hair, from reconstruction that was being done to a nearby window. The duo had also almost managed to kill the kind Commissioner with a photocopier machine. The two took cover in a local bathroom while the numerous angry employees searched them out. Max put his hairstyling skills to the test while he cut the tar from Leo's hair. By the time he was finished, Leo was left with a choppy and very short haircut.

"I'm going to put these scissors away before you stab me in the eye with them…" Max muttered as he spied the look on Leo's face. Leo sighed as he heard Max close the door, and he looked upward at himself in the mirror.

"I look just like him… I might as well stamp 'Lupin' on my head…" mumbled Leo angrily, "I'm sure Fuji would find this funny… If she still liked talking to me, that is…"

New York, New York:

"Nothing like the fresh, clean air on a mild morning in Brooklyn," sighed Yukiko happily, followed by a long cough. 

"On the rooftops, it's wonderful," Toshiro admitted, "I hope Kome's been taking care of my birds…"

"Oh, yeah, you mentioned you had a few birds," Yukiko nodded.

"I have a few more, now," Toshiro said as the two came up to his apartment building. Some time later, the two were on the rooftop, and Yukiko was staring at what looked to be close to a thousand trained pigeons flying in and out of boxes on the rooftop of the apartment complex.

"I feel like I'm in a friggin' Hitchcock film! Are they all yours?" Yukiko looked upward at a pigeon that had decided to nest on the top of her hat.

"Yeah. Come on, I'll show you where I feed them," Toshiro smirked, and nodded her towards the feeding area. Yukiko followed Toshiro around the rooftop, the pigeon on the top of her head the entire time, sitting complacently while Yukiko was led on a guided tour of the rooftop.

"Well, what do you think?" Toshiro inquired after he had finished their tour and he had seated himself on the ledge of the building while Yukiko preferred to stand.

Yukiko paused, "When's the last time you actually got laid?"

"Wha—"

"Do you talk to people, I mean, other than Aunt Kome, or Julia?" asked Yukiko, "This is a hobby great, and you seem really into your birds, but you look lonely."

"I'm fine… I have my birds, and I have my city…" Toshiro replied.

Yukiko sighed, and stood next to him on the ledge of the building, "I didn't just come with you to shoot the breeze, Toshiro… I'm worried about you—We're all worried about you. You've been acting weirder and weirder lately, and you're too secretive with us… I want to know if you're—"

"You want to know if I'm working with the Rat Clan, don't you?" Toshiro sighed in disappointment.

"Well, I—"

"I thought you'd be different, at least," Toshiro rose, and stood face-to-face with Yukiko, "I may hold things back, but it's only to protect you… And even if I hold things back, I don't lie. Especially not to you; I trust you more than anyone else. I can tell you honestly that I have no connections with the Rat Clan, other than half of my bloodline is from it."

"I want to believe you, I really do…" Yukiko whispered quietly.

"They've made my life a living hell for the past year…" Toshiro seethed.

"Hrm?" Yukiko looked down at him in interest, "Whaddya mean?"

"Nothing," Toshiro turned from her, and walked towards the stairway back down to the halls of the apartments, "You wouldn't understand…"

"Try me," Yukiko smirked.

"I'd rather not…" Toshiro replied.

"Toshiro!" Yukiko called as she ran down the stairs after him, "What is **up** with you!? You've never acted like this before!"

"Well, maybe I'm not the same person you knew before," Toshiro countered.

"Sure you are! You're just the sa—"

"I don't mean by looks!" Toshiro snapped and spun around, "There's a lot more to this than you could ever even fathom. It's more than stealing a scroll from the Rat Clan; I came only because I wanted revenge!"

"Oh, so you finally come to visit after all of these years only to get revenge! I see how it is… Your father has a heart attack, and you don't come back then, but you come back now…" Yukiko nodded, and stepped back, "What'd they do? Key your stupid poor-cousin-of-a-motorcycle!?"

"_They murdered my **family**_," Toshiro hissed.

"You're delusional! Your family's in Japan! You've been spending too much time up there with those damn pigeons! You're the friggin' Bird Man of Brooklyn!" 

"I don't mean… I mean my girlfriend and my unborn daughter."

Yukiko stood there, frozen in position, trying to let this sink in. There was no way he had just said that…

Toshiro looked down at the floor, "I came home one night… It was a long night, and a tiring one… I found the note, first… Then I ran to the bedroom, and she was there, dead… She was pregnant at the time…. I had just finished building a crib the week before…."

"Who was dead, Toshiro?" Yukiko inquired.

"….Julia…"

"You and her… You were both… She was going to have your…" Yukiko fidgeted in position, and cleared her throat, "I've got to stock up on bullets… I'll be at the hotel…"

"Yuki…"

"Hey, uh, I'll see ya around…" Yukiko muttered, and pressed the buttons for the elevator. She kicked the buttons out of frustration when no elevator came, "Fine, I'll take the stairs! I need the exercise, anyway!" she yelled in frustration as she opened the door, and began to walk down the twelve flights of stairs.

"I'm so sorry for not being brave enough to tell you the truth…" Toshiro finished quietly as he stood there alone in the hallway.

Later, at a Somewhat Seedy Café:

"Married!?" Fuji gasped as she and Yukiko sat in the small, darkened café. The others in the group had gone to do various chores, leaving the two alone.

"He wasn't married, but they were as good as…" Yukiko replied as she sipped her Scotch bitterly.

"Damn… I always thought you two would…"

"We're just friends," Yukiko snapped in response, "apparently…" she added under her breath as she took another sip of her drink, "Listen, Fuji—Don't tell anyone, please. If Toshiro wanted them to know, he'd let them."

"You have my word," Fuji replied, "This is a nice little place, eh?" she added as she looked around the café, "Very relaxing…"

Yukiko rolled her eyes, and shook her head, "I need another Scotch… I feel like getting really drunk tonight."

"It's because of the special occasion, ne?" Fuji laughed. "Hn…" she looked downward at her table, and noticed a bit of paint from the ceiling on the table. It had not been there when they had sat down. Fuji reached in her jacket, and placed her hand on the handle of her weapon. She quickly jumped out of her seat, and shot. A ninja fell to from the ceiling onto the table where the two sat.

Fuji mumbled, "These guys are definitely not going to be on my Christmas card list…"

"What in the heck are we going to do with him?" Yukiko inquired. "Oh," she nodded, smiled, and turned back to the bar as she saw Fuji remove a piece of paper and a pen from her purse. Yukiko looked upward at the calm bartender in surprise, "Hey, aren't you…"

"You guys think you're the first celebrities to kill someone in my café?" the bartender replied skeptically, much to the usually jaded Yukiko's shock, "You'd never think that a former Mickey Mouse Club member would be capable of beheading a guy!" he added in a laugh.

"Yukiko, I'll take care of this. You check up on Toshiro at his apartment…" ordered Fuji. Yukiko nodded, and obediently obeyed the order from her 'boss'. She took a cab back down to Toshiro's apartment, and walked up the stairs to his home. She knocked on the door a few times, and after finding he was not ready to open it, Yukiko picked the lock to the door. She found Toshiro in his bedroom in the back of the large apartment, sitting on the edge of the bed. His head was hung, and he was looking downward at the wooden floor. Yukiko noticed a crib in the corner of the room as she entered, and felt a pang of sickness come over her.

"Hey," she took a few steps forward, and put a hand on his shoulder. Toshiro looked upward at her in surprise, "We'll get them back, all right? I can't tell you how sorry I am about this… I wish I could say I knew what you were going through, but I don't… I've never even been on a really serious date… And you and Julie… How old were you when—"

"Relax, I was twenty," Toshiro replied, "And I'm the one who asked her."

"Oh… Well, I just wanted to see how you were doing. Fuji's taking care of the body. I've got to head back out, now. I promised Ally I'd take a look at his car for him tonight."

"Yukiko… Thanks…" Toshiro said quietly.

Yukiko bent down, and embraced him, "Hey, you're s till my best friend! Nothin's ever going to change that, okay? We'll get 'em all, Toshiro. I'll see you later." Yukiko rose, and exited the apartment.

"I wish that I could at least tell someone everything; but I can't even let her know… I couldn't let Julia know, and look where that got me…" Toshiro mumbled as he looked upward at the crib again, and then averted his eyes to the floor.

INTERPOL Offices, Paris, France, the following day:

"Hey, LeBlanc, what's with the new haircut!?" called one coworker as Leo passed him, "I thought you didn't go for the attention of ladies!"

Leo stopped and looked upward, "I, uh—"

"Well, I think it's sorta cute, Leo," admitted an attractive secretary. Leo's face turned bright red as she approached, and he stumbled back against a desk in order to avoid her.

"I've gotta go," Leo sputtered and ran away from the group, leaving them all laughing.

"LeBlanc's too funny!" laughed one worker.

"As cute as he is, he's so afraid of girls!" sighed the female worker, "Well, I'm getting back to work… Leo's new friend's here…"

"Oh, blondie? You know whose kid he is, right?"

"Nah, who?"

"Zenigata's."

"Zeni—He's too damn young! And he's blond, like you said! Have you ever seen a naturally blonde Asian!?"

"The old man had him right after he retired…."

"LeBlanc! Zenigata! In my office, immediately!" called the Commissioner as Max entered his and Leo's new office.

"Y-y-y-y-Yes, Sir…" Leo stuttered in his soft-spoken tone as he and Max ran into the Commissioner's office. Both seated themselves, and waited intently for the Commissioner's speech.

"I'm reassigning you two. After yesterday, I realized having the both of you in the office all of the time would be less than beneficial for our insurance companies… But I can't fire either of you—Max, I owe your father too much. Leo—The real business world would eat someone like you alive in three seconds. So I'm keeping you both on board!"

"Uh, thanks?" Leo replied unsurely as he briefly glanced over at Max, who shrugged in response.

"You two are going on an assignment. It's a little lengthy, but I think you're both fit for it!" said the Commissioner happily as he slid a file across his desk to them. Max took it, and Leo leaned over his shoulder as he opened it.

"THE LUPIN CASE!?" both shrieked in horror.

"Why, is something wrong with that?" asked the Commissioner as he looked suspiciously at both, namely the very familiar-looking Leo.

"No," both replied in meek whispers.

"Terrific! You two will pack and fly to New York City tomorrow! The Lupin gang caused a little trouble at a hotel a few nights ago, it seems."

"What sort?" asked Leo quickly.

"Well, read and find out!" the Commissioner laugh, "Why don't you boys take the day off, so you can go pack?"

"Sure," both mumbled numbly as they rose and trudged out of the office, both with feelings of impending doom upon them.

"Wonderful! Now they'll never come back, and I won't feel as guilty!" said the Commissioner contently after both had exited the office in dread.

"I CAN'T believe I'm going to have to track down part of my family like DOGS!" griped Max as he walked to his car.

"I _can't_ believe I'm going to have to track down part of my family like _dogs_," Leo mumbled as he waited for his bus.

Max looked across the parking lot, and spied Leo waiting for a bus, "Hey, what are you doing!?" he shouted.

"I don't a have a car," Leo shrugged in response.

"You want a lift?"

"Huh? Well, ur, sure," Leo shrugged as he walked over towards Max's beaten Neon. "Thanks… Um, no one's ever been this nice to me before…"

"I just need someone to bitch to," Max shrugged as he seated himself in his car, "I can't do a deadend case like this, I just can't! Even if the ringleader's attractive!"

"Fuji?" Leo choked, and accidentally hit his head on the doorway of the car as he entered and seated himself.

"Yeah. But she goes by Lupin IV, too," Max replied, "We have no idea what happened to her brother, Arsene Lupin IV. He just disappeared a few years ago, no clues as to his whereabouts. Lord only knows where he is, now."

"Yeah, Lord only knows…" Leo laughed uncomfortably.

"I mean, he could be relaxing in the Bahamas, for all we know!"

"For all we know!" Leo repeated good-humoredly.

"I just know I can't go back to my family. I'd break my dad's heart. I've been nothing but a big screw up for over twenty years! Well, no more! I don't care who they are—I'll do it. I'll do what my dad couldn't even do! I'm going to catch Lupin IV!"

"Hee hee… Good luck, Max," Leo wished his newfound friend.

"Thanks. I'm going to need plenty of it," Max admitted, "But, hey, I'm sure you have some skills! The Commissioner wouldn't put us on such a high-profile job unless he thought we were—"

"Complete and utter morons," Leo finished.

Max paused, "You know, if we're working together, I don't want you to destroy every delusion I have. I know that's probably why, but you don't have to bring it to my attention so blatantly!"

"Sorry, it's a problem I have!" Leo snapped, "You're not the only failure in this car, you know!"

"Yeah, and what was your family like, huh? Everyone seems to know mine around here," said Max.

"Very large, very loud… I miss them all of the time," Leo admitted solemnly, "But I can't go back… That'd give them all too much satisfaction, and prove that I was wrong! I can already see how smug my father would be. 'Toldja so'. Grr, I can't stand that!"

"Sounds like you have just as many issues as me!" Max laughed.

"I think I beat you," Leo admitted.

"Well, we'll see. We're partners, now, so we'll have plenty opportunity to compare," Max admitted.

"Oh, yeah…" Leo chuckled as he looked out the window of the moving car. Leo thought heavily as the car rolled onward.

__

What am I gonna do, Dad? This is the time when you would've done something slick to get out of a tough spot like this, but I can't. If I quit, it'll almost be like pointing a neon sign that reads 'Lupin' to me….

What am I going to do?


	4. Purple Haze

DISCLAIMER: Don't own Lupin III, or those expensive TV series DVDs (sighs sadly).

Hi, there!

Toshiro, a bastard? (uncomfortable laugh) Well, yeah, I guess it was sort of wrong, hiding those things from the group. Don't worry—In good time, everyone'll get to see how the Lupin group is doing. Jigen ought to be highly amusing to write about. Glad everyone likes Leo, and everyone was pretty surprised about the Lupin/Zenigata pairing, eh? Told ya there would be surprises here. Well, they aren't about to end! Hope you all enjoy the following chapter! Bye for now!

Oh, BTW—Anyone get the Broadway joke, Leo & Max. There's a play where the two main characters share the same name as the trusty inspectors, anyone know? Tell ya next chapter, see ya around!

Chapter Three

A Few Days Later: Purple Haze

__

'Two of us riding nowhere,

Spending someone's hard earned pay,

You and me getting nowhere,

Driving solo,

On our way back home,

We're on our way home'

--The Beatles, _'Two of Us'_

Max sat uncomfortably in his airline seat, looking straight ahead. He and Leo had been doing nothing except sitting in the airplane for hours. He glanced forward at the in-flight movie, which he quickly deemed a piece of Hollywood crap, and then looked back at Leo. He looked downward at LeBlanc's hands as he realized Leo was knitting—And well, at that. It seemed as though Leo had had a good deal of practice with the crochet needles over the years.

"What are you doing, Leo?" Max finally ventured to ask after a few deathly silently moments between he and his new partner.

"I'm knitting. When I get nervous, I do this," Leo replied, "I'm making you a sweater right now…"

"How… Special…" Max answered hesitantly as he looked downward at the beginnings of a green turtleneck sweater, "What do you do with the other stuff?"

"Oh, send it to my folks back home…" Leo answered dully, "Hey, would you hold my yarn for a sec while I try to finish the sleeve?"

A Rural Home in Paris, France:

"Oh, look what Ari sent us… A throw pillow… To match the thirty others he's sent already…" an aged Fujiko Lupin sighed blandly as she removed the white and green pillow from a cardboard box that had been sent to the household. Fujiko had aged with grace, and now, although her clothing was not nearly as revealing, she still bore a certain charm. Her hair had a few gray spots in it at this point, but hardly enough to notice.

"I swear, if I see one more item that looks remotely knit, I'm gonna throw gasoline on it and get a match!" an equally old Lupin III proclaimed as he exited the kitchen, "I swear to God…. We have more damn curtains than we do windows, and that's hard in a place with over thirty rooms, all with windows!" The gentleman thief had to begun to show his years, as well. A slightly receding hairline which belonged to obviously dyed black hair was one of the most prominent signs of age in the thief. 

"Lupin, he makes these because he loves doing it, and he loves us… Even if he is working for the enemy…" Fujiko sighed, "Hopefully, he'll come around…"

"Oh, he will," Lupin replied as he took a sip of the Burbon he had retrieved from the wine cellar, "He's a Lupin. It's his fate to be a thief."

"He wrote a letter!" Fujiko added happily as she reached for a slip of paper in the bottom of the box.

"Read it to me, will ya? I forgot my glasses downstairs," Lupin sighed.

"Dear Mom and Dad. You'll be pleased to know I've been promoted to work a job. You won't be as pleased to know that it's the Lupin IV case--" Fujiko paused as Lupin choked on his drink, and then continued as he regained the ability to breathe, "—I hope now maybe I can get through to Fuji and the others, and show them that what they're doing is wrong…"

"But it's not wrong!" Lupin snapped in response, "Fujicakes, I love him to death, but sometimes I wonder how it is he turned out to be such a tree-hugger!"

Fujiko looked at her husband solemnly, "He tried hard to be like us… But, you know what happened in the end… Everyone knows what happened in the end…"

"It happens to everyone! To me, to Jigen, to Goemon! To you! Accidents happen!" Lupin snapped.

"He couldn't take the guilt of it," Fujiko replied calmly, "He just couldn't handle the stress there was in being a thief! And with a reputation to follow like your family's! I'm not surprised at all that that happened…"

"Well, hopefully he'll come around soon," Lupin sighed, "and take up a new craft in the meantime, not just knitting! We need to send him a potter's wheel for his birthday!"

New York, New York:

"Hello, Mister Squirrel…. Would you like to join your family up in the great beyond?" Ally whispered as he locked onto a squirrel merrily chirping around the park across from his hotel room, "You would!? Wonderful! Here, let me give you your ticket…."

"There's something about your brother that I find very disturbing," Heiji mumbled to Ryo as both entered the hotel room and saw Ally with his sniper rifle pointed at the squirrel. Ally quickly hid the weapon as he realized he was no longer alone, and smiled innocently at his big sister and friend.

"No more rodent killing," Ryo demanded sternly, "And that includes pigeons! Central Park now looks like the wildlife version of the beaches of Normandy!"

"That dancin' monkey had it comin'!" Ally snapped in defense, "Little S.O.B. tried to steal my wallet, I swear it on my grave!"

"You ever think about sending him on a vacation… To a padded cell?" inquired Heiji confidentially to Ryo.

"He's not as crazy as he lets on."

"He…"

"Ally's a nice kid. Just likes his guns a little too much," Ryo sighed in response as she watched Ally polish and then put his sniper rifle away in its case with the same ease of putting a child to bed, "I understand you're just as crazy about video games…"

"Yeah, but I pretend to shoot crap! Rodents probably see Ally as the Cold Hand of Death when he passes by them," Heiji replied.

"Hey! Take a look at this!" Yukiko called from the living room. All three rose, and walked over to the television, and were stunned by what they saw. Max Zenigata and Leo LeBlanc to head up Lupin IV investigation.

"Ari…" Ryo whispered in shock, "You mean he's…."

Fuji, who had been the first to see the newscast, nodded, "Well, I guess this adds to our fun, huh, guys!?" she laughed.

"Well, we're screwed," Heiji sighed, "I'm going to go work on that camera…"

"Glad to see I work with so many optimists…" mumbled Fuji.

Meanwhile, outside, in a different hotel room, the furniture had been set to one side of the room, and Toshiro and Odori both stood opposite of one another, waiting for the other to strike. Odori was the first, and jumped at Toshiro with her bokken (wooden) sword. Toshiro quickly blocked this attack, and both went to fighting one another; jumping about the room, as if their lives depended on it.

"If I had Zantetsu on me, you'd be dead!" Odori hissed.

"Perhaps. But you won't always have your sword around," Toshiro replied, "What do you say we take a quick break?"

"Sounds good," Odori admitted, and stretched after they had called it an even match. Odori exited the hotel room, headed towards the bar, while Toshiro stayed in and fixed the room.

"You've gotten good," Toshiro jumped at the sound of the familiar voice. He spun his head towards the door, where there stood a middle-aged Japanese woman in a black kimono, "You should attack more precisely, though. You and I both know you could have her gone in three moves, Goemon."

"I go by Toshiro," Toshiro sighed in response.

"Why you don't use such a prominent name is beyond me. It's almost as if you're too good to use it," she snapped.

"I'd ask you if you'd rather use it, but you're content to use me instead," Toshiro replied.

She ground her teeth together a little, and commenced to speak with Toshiro, "It's going to be down to the wire, soon. You can feel it, as can I. You couldn't hide your other little secret from them, so how do you expect to hide this one?"

"I'm not sure, but I'll think of something," Toshiro replied.

"Your lineage… With an American… You can see why that couldn't happen, Goemon-chan. Your clan's much too good for that."

"Stop with this talk of clans, woman. You're beginning to sound like something out of a Shakespeare play."

"Hn… What was that one quote of his, about the world being a play?"

"All the world's a stage, and the people its players."

"Yes," she nodded, "You're a wonderful actor, Goemon. And I mean that in every sense." Toshiro could feel her approach him from behind as he turned away from her out of disgust, and he quickly turned back, just in time to stop her sword from cutting into him. Toshiro managed to stop the blade by clapping his hands together around the sides of it. This caused little injury to him.

Both shared a similar eerie smile as she laid her blade down, and then sheathed it once more, "You really are an Ishikawa, you know… You're too good to work with them; your father was too good for the Lupin gang, as well. But he was also too much of an idealist."

"Leave," Toshiro ordered in a snap. She smiled, shrugged, and exited from the same window she had appeared in. "I can't keep this up… She can take my lineage and shove it…." He muttered bitterly to himself as he exited the hotel room, and walked into the other. Everyone was in the women's room, crowded around the television, when he entered.

"What's going on?" he inquired as he looked down at the television.

"Ari's joining," Ryo replied.

"Our team? Great!"

"The Lupin IV investigation," Heiji answered.

"This is great! We'll get to see one another all of the time, now!" Fuji said cheerily. She was the only cheery face out of the sullen group. "What?" she inquired as she looked around, "You guys will get to see him, too! It'll be great!"

"Is she dumb, or just optimistic?" Ryo inquired.

"Considering her bloodline, I'd say both," Odori answered.

"Are you sure you're adopted, because you always sound a heck of a lot like Dad…" Heiji muttered.

"I guess I train with Father a little too much," Odori admitted.

"He calls himself Leo LeBlanc, now," Yukiko added.

"Jeeze," Fuji stretched back on the couch, "The guy screws up once, goes a little kooky, and joins the dark side…. Well, hopefully he'll get over all of this. I'm just gonna be happy seeing my neurotic big brother around all of the time!"

"And I'll get to see my pushy big uncle all of the time. Oh, joy…" Heiji muttered blandly.

An Airport in New York, New York:

"What the hell do you mean 'You're keeping us on this plane'!?" Max shouted to the attendant, "We've got a hotel to get to, Lady! You tell her, Leo!" Max looked downward at Leo, who had his eyes averted to the ground, away from the attractive female attendant.

"Uh… Yeah… I guess…" Leo mumbled, his face a light shade of red as he spoke.

"C'mon," Max picked up their carryon bags, grabbed Leo by the hand, and pushed his way past the attendants, "I am so over people today! They have me fly from California to Paris, just so I can find out that I have to go back to New York City to work on the last case I actually want to be on!"

"Sorry! He—He's not usually like this, I swear!" Leo called out to the passengers as he followed Max out of the airplane. "Do you always have to be so embarrassing!?"

"Do you always have to be so femmaphobic!?" countered Max as they worded their way up to baggage claim.

"Gynophobic. That's the proper word. I'm a college major in languages, you know! They gave me a plaque that says so!" Leo snapped in irritation.

"Great! Then tell him we need our luggage, now!" Max snapped, pushing Leo towards the luggage attendant.

"In what language?"

"Well, considering it's the U.S., I would hope English!" snapped Max.

"Oh, right…"

"I swear, if you weren't Asian, you'd be a blonde!"

"That's rich, coming from a blonde Asian!"

"I'm half Hebrew!"

"And I'm a quarter French! Why do you think I have the name 'LeBlanc', because I come from Kyoto!?" Leo snapped, and turned to the luggage attendant. But now, instead of the luggage attendant, there were several armed police officers.

"Hands up!" one shouted to the duo.

"Great," Max mumbled, "This is your fault, you know…"

"My fault! How is it my fault!? You're the one who started with 'Let's get off of this plane'!" Leo snapped, "And now, thanks to you, I'm going to become a prisoner's boyfriend!"

"You're effeminent enough…" Max mumbled.

"What?" Leo turned to him.

"Nothing," Max sighed heavily.

"Down on the ground!" shouted one of the officers.

Later, a New York City INTERPOL Department:

"Gentlemen, I am so sorry to cause you so much trouble! I hope you weren't too uncomfortable during your stay in one of our facilities!" said the INTERPOL New York City branch Commissioner.

"Oh, no, I love jail," Max said under his breath.

"What was that?" asked the Commissioner.

"Glad to be here, Sir!" Leo said cheerily, "The people in jail were a lot nicer than I thought!"

"Because they thought you were cute," Max mumbled.

"So, shall I give you boys the information?" inquired the Commissioner as he entered his office with the two Inspectors.

"Certainly," nodded Max as he seated himself next to Leo and across from the Commissioner.

"Here," he tossed the duo the files, and both glanced over the thick envelope. It listed the group, as well as the last place each had been seen.

FUJIKO, LUPIN II—MONACO, FRANCE 

ARSENE, LUPIN IV—MISSING IN ACTION

ISHIKAWA, GOEMON TOSHIRO IVX—NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK, USA

ISHIKAWA, HEIJI—BERLIN, GERMANY

ISHIKAWA, ODORI—TOKYO, JAPAN

JIGEN, YUKIKO—BARCELONA, SPAIN

JIGEN, RYOKO—SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

JIGEN, DAISUKE ALLEN II—CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, USA

The Commissioner sat back in his chair, and glanced at the two, "The most interesting, by far, is Lupin the Fourth. He vanished a few years ago, after--"

"Killing someone," Leo finished quietly, "a police officer… It was all over the news when it happened…"

"Yes," the Commissioner replied, "You're familiar with it, I take it. We have the footage here… It's not a good image of Lupin, but you can see the part where the murder takes palce…"

"That'd be quite all right, Sir. Mr. LeBlanc and I have had a rough day. The last thing we want to see right now is a petty thief kill an innocent man…."

"Yeah," Leo nodded numbly.

"Well, you gentlemen may keep the file, and I shall see you both around! Good luck to the two of you!" said the Commissioner, rising and shaking the hand of each man.

"Thank you, Sir! Rest assured that we will not fail you!" said Max confidently.

"You know, someone else told me that, once. Inspector Koichi Zenigata, your father," said the Commissioner blandly.

"I'm not my father, Sir," Max answered in response.

"Oh, history repeats itself," the Commissioner said bitingly to Max, "Good day, you two."

"Good day, Sir," Max grumbled, and exited with Leo. Once Leo had closed the door, Max began to stomp around the outside of the office angrily, while Leo watched nervously. He waited until Max had finished his ranting in Hebrew before he shakily led Zenigata out of the offices, and down the city to their hotel room.

"I don't believe him! Of all of the nerve!" Max grumbled as he threw his suitcase on his bed and began to unpack.

"Don't worry, Max… I know what you're going through…." Leo reassured him.

"No, no you don't. Because you know why—Because my father is probably the most decorated idiot the police force has ever seen!" Max yelled.

"You… Don't have to be so zealous…" Leo gulped as he unzipped his suitcases.

"Where exactly do you buy a purple sport coat?" Max inquired as he looked down at Leo's wardrobe.

"Online," Leo replied, "I like the color…" he shrugged.

"Well, that makes it even more painfully obvious…" mumbled Max to himself as he watched Leo putting away his clothing, "Hey, what do you say we go out tonight? I mean, we don't have to report to work until tomorrow, so we could enjoy the clubs until then! Guys our age like that stuff, right?"

"I'm actually about two years older than you," Leo replied calmly.

"Whatever," Max shrugged, "What do you say, though, Leo? I mean, we hardly know one another! You know all about me—"

"Because you yell everything…"

"And I hardly know anything about you!"

"Not much to know," Leo shrugged, "Why don't we stay in, tonight? I've got a serious case of jet lag catching up on me…"

"Well, okay," Max replied.

"Boy, I'm never going to get the wrinkles out of this shirt! Oh, well…" Leo mumbled, "Guess it's back to the old crochet needles."

Max turned to Leo, and watched as LeBlanc took his knitting needles and began to knit. "Um, can I ask you a question?"

"Sure, what?"

"Are you gay?"

"WHAT!?" Leo yelped.

"I mean, it's no problem, I just… It's been bugging me for a while, and—"

"I like girls, okay? I just, I just don't like talking to them… I just get nervous, okay? There're only a few girls I can talk to without feeling like I usually do! What, are you gay?"

"What!? No! Why do you think that!?"

"Because, well… You're a little, I dunno…"

"I don't, either!" snapped Max, "I'm perfectly straight, I just work too damn much to have a girlfriend!"

"Oh, that's a shame…. Well, now that that's out of the way…"

"I'm feeling pretty awkward now."

"Uh, yeah… I'm going to get ice…"

"You do that, Leo," Max nodded and watched as Leo exited the hotel room, "What is it about that guy that's so familiar to me!? I can't put my finger on it!"


	5. Tankobushi

DISCLAIMER: Aw, hell, make your own! Think of it as a bonus game!

Hi!

Glad everyone's liking it so far! Seems like a lot of people are starting to get favorite characters in here—If you have one, let me know. And if there's a character I need to work on, let me know that, too, okay? Feedback not only benefits me by giving my ideas on how to improve my writing, by benefits you, the reader, in the end, by improving the story. Oh, by the way, glad Leo and Max made such a hit team! Thanks! Bye for now! See you around!

__

'I just wanna dance with you all night,

in this world there's nothing I would rather do,

'cos I'm happy just to dance with you,'

--The Beatles, _'I'm Happy Just to Dance With You'_

Chapter Five

A Little while Later, Nighttime in a New York City Hotel: Tankobusi

"It's nice up here… Nice, and quiet… Two things I have definitely not be seeing a lot of, as of late," Toshiro said to himself contentedly as he sat crossed-legged on the balcony rail. Things had since calmed down around the Lupin gang's hotel, and most had either gone out to eat or chosen sleep. Ally was the only one who had chosen to stay home and sleep, as far as he knew. Jigen had fallen into a deep sleep, where his mind had traveled to Toshiro could only guess.

Odori, Heiji, Ryo and Fuji had all gone out to eat. Toshiro had no idea where Yukiko was, but she more than likely was not in the mood to speak with him. Things had been much easier when they were smaller, where he would say he loved her and she would laugh at him and call him an idiot. Now, with his dead family in the picture, things had become much more complicated for the pair of friends. It was blatantly obvious that she did not trust him as much as she had, and her trust was the kind that was hard to win, in the first place. He was unsure as to whether she would ever trust him as much as she had ever again.

Toshiro turned his head as he heard whistling from the room next door, and he leaned over to look into the room through its clear glass doors. Yukiko had returned, and was preparing to celebrate the night off with a large bottle in a brown paper bag. Toshiro watched as she removed her fedora and shoes, and turned away as she removed her jacket and loosened her tie, "I am not going to do this… I'm not some kind of common pervert! Well… I… I'm not, usually, and I…"

Toshiro looked back at Yukiko quietly, and silently watched from a distance, "She's much prettier than she gives herself credit for…" he muttered to himself, "Much prettier…." He then jumped in surprise as he heard Ally in his bed, stirring quietly and then rising.

Ally stretched, and walked over to his balcony. He could have sworn he had seen someone there only moments ago. Ally looked the balcony area over once, and shrugged as he found no one to be there. He turned back into his room, and lied back down to sleep.

Toshiro exhaled a breath of relief, and jumped back up onto the balcony, where he had been dangling off the edge of by his hands until a few moments ago. He shook his head, and turned once more to Yukiko's room. She had fallen asleep by this time, fortunately, "I can't believe I was doing that! She's my friend! Jeeze! That's like spying on Dori—Eww…" He shuddered, and walked back into his room. He jumped in surprise as he heard Ally snuggling himself down in his bed.

"What? But Ms. Milder, you just got here! Aw, Bette—You know just what to say to a lawn gnome… Tee hee…" Ally mumbled to himself in his sleep.

Toshiro grimaced, "I don't think I _want_ to know what he's dreaming about…" He exited his room with little purpose other than to escape Ally. When he changed his mind, he went back to his door, only to find it locked, "Great…. And we all know what a light sleeper he is! Well, she's a light sleeper, at least…" he knocked on Yukiko's door, and moments later, she opened it, now clad in a black T-shirt and white shorts, as well as her fedora.

"You wear that hat just as much as your dad, don't you?" Toshiro concluded as he glanced upward at her fedora. Yukiko smirked, nodded, and flicked at the brim.

"Yeah, I guess it's grown on me…" she shrugged in response, "Are you locked out of your place, or did you come to visit?"

"Visit," Toshiro lied abruptly.

Yukiko saw this was a lie, but decided not to call him on the carpet for this. Instead, she allowed Toshiro in, and seated himself in the living room of the large hotel room. She picked up the remote, and seated herself next to Toshiro, "You want to watch somethin'?"

"_Broadway Review_?" Toshiro inquired earnestly. 

Yukiko slowly turned to him, and looked at him in disbelief., "You, you're joking, right?"

"Sure," Toshiro cleared his throat, and turned back towards the television, where an old Western was playing in black and white.

"Ryo loves Westerns," Yukiko sighed, and rolled her eyes, "She knows Clint Eastwood better than he knows himself!"

"You don't say…" mumbled Toshiro.

"Yeah, she's almost as bad as Dad…" Yukiko chuckled, shaking her head, "They're really alike, those too. But she's got his cooler side. Ally's a lot like Mom when I first met her—Crazy as hell."

"Ally isn't crazy as hell—He's just crazy!" Toshiro corrected, "There's a difference! Ari's crazy as hell!"

"Ari's just sad," Yukiko muttered, "Don't get me started on Ari! Dear, precious, chicken-livered Arsene, who abandoned us all!"

"You shouldn't be that mad about him leaving, Yukiko," warned Toshiro.

"You're just glad I don't get this mad about everyone who abandons me," Yukiko snapped directly toward Toshiro.

A Swanky New York City Club:

"There are more food groups than squid, rice, sake, and tea, Dori," Heiji said to his sister as he looked down at her plate of food.

"They are all I require," Odori replied as she dug into her squid with her chopsticks and ate a bit of the kalamari.

"Those and your baby," Heiji added, looking down at the sword at Odori's feet. Odori looked downward at the resting Zantetsu, and gently graced her fingers over it once.

"He's not mine yet, but hopefully someday soon he will be…" Odori said with a gleam in her eye.

"And then you two can finally get married and buy a house in Los Alamos," Heiji added.

"_Star Trek _is fake, you know," Odori commented as she sipped her tea nonchalantly.

"That was very low," Heiji hissed quietly.

"Fellas, fellas, c'mon! Let's get along, okay!? It's a bright day, and the sun's shining!" Fuji said happily as she raised her forth glass of wine up joyously.

"It's twelve at night and that's the chandelier that's shining. You're just drunk," Ryo retorted monotonously.

"Just have to ruin all of my fun, huh, Ryo-san?" said Fuji with a wink.

"I'm almost as good at killing a mood as I am killing anything else," Ryo replied coolly as she lit a cigarette and puffed at it a few times before extinguishing it in a wineglass of water.

"Ryoko, the queen of class dining," Heiji muttered as he watched the cigarette bob in the glass of water.

Unbeknownst to the group, across from them in a booth were two Japanese detectives—One with blonde hair and the other with a purple jacket. Max had finally convinced Leo to get out, and Leo had taken Max to one of his favorite restaurants. Neither inspector realized that they were dining with the enemy.

"Is your family rich, or something?" Max inquired as he looked over the menu.

"Well… They gave me a good sum of money when I turned eighteen, and I've invested it over the years. Plus I take other jobs translating on the weekends, and I also teach languages to college students, sometimes."

"Jeeze, you could buy yourself therapy to get a girlfriend with that sort of money, Leo!" Max laughed, "What languages do you speak, anyway?"

"Well, primarily French, Japanese, and English, but Yiddish, Russian, Spanish, Italian, Romanian, German, some Hungarian and Greek, and I'm studying Latin and Vietnamese right now!"

"So, you're dodecalingual, eh?"

"And you're in love with butchering any language you speak, eh?" Leo retorted, "Sorry, but it's a pet peeve of mine," Leo sighed after a moment.

"It's all right. I have mine, too."

"Such as?"

"Failure, namely."

"But, technically, we're both fail—"

"And that's why I like neither of us," Max concluded, and then took a sip of his water. Something caught Max's eye as he went to rest his glass back down on the table, "But, you know, I have the feeling I'm going to like us both a whole lot more soon…"

"Why, Max?" Leo inquired as he watched Max rise from their table.

"Lupin! You're under arrest!" Max shouted, rising from the table, "Did I really just say that? Please tell me I didn't…" muttered Max as he pulled his handcuffs and ran towards the stunned Lupin table, Leo following close behind.

"Stop! Please! In the name of th—" Leo stopped as Ryo stood in front of him, "R-Ryoko! You're here, too!" He gulped, and suddenly became nervous at the presence of Ryo.

"Long time, no see, Ari," Ryo whispered as she drew a gun out at the petrified Leo.

"You, you're un, under arrest!" Leo sputtered.

"Nice try," Ryo whispered, removing Leo's handcuffs from his belt pocket and swinging them around, "What are you planning to do with these, eh? Fun night for you and the little Mrs.?"

At the mention of Max, Leo looked behind Ryo, and saw Max had successfully handcuffed Fuji, while Heiji and Odori had escaped unseemingly unnoticed. Lupin was the only one Max wanted, and he left the others to Leo's care.

"No, I—I… Ryoko, don't make this too hard, please!" Leo whispered.

"Hey, you're the man," Ryo winked, and slapped one of the handcuffs over his wrist, "Go on ahead, cuff me, Copper…" she smirked.

"I, um, well, I…" Ryo leaned forward, and kissed Leo, leaving LeBlanc in shock as she backed away. 

"Gotta go, Dear. But I'll keep in touch, don't worry… Good night, Leo."

As soon as Ryo disappeared, Leo went to chase after her, but found the other cuff on the handcuff had been hooked to a nearby chair. He tumbled down to the ground as the chair became caught on a table leg, and Max looked downward at Leo, embarrassed and shocked.

"What are you doing down there!?" Max snapped angrily as he looked down at Leo, "I've got Lupin right—" Max looked upward, and saw no Fuji, but only a set of handcuffs and a note, "Out of my grasp… Crap!"

"Uh, help? I think I'm bleeding…" Leo mumbled as he felt his forehead and then looked downward at his fingers.

"That little—Oh, I'll get her…" growled Max as he tore the note from the table and stormed out of the restaurant.

"Hello? Your partner's still stuck to a CHAIR!" Leo shouted to Max, but this went without response from anyone.

The Next Day, the Hotel:

"You did _what_ to _who_!?" Heiji gaped in horror.

"Hey, I did what I had to. Besides, it wasn't like it was a long kiss, or anything. Just enough to stun the little shmuck," Ryo shrugged as she looked downward at Fuji's master plan for stealing the scroll of the Rat Clan. All were gathered in the bedroom, and by this time they had all heard of Ryo's doings of the previous night.

"Anyway," Fuji glanced upward at Ryo in annoyance, and then back down at the plans. "Getting back to the main swing of things…" suddenly a cell phone went of in the room, and all looked around silently.

"Whose phone plays _Chopsticks?_" Heiji inquired. Toshiro coughed uncomfortably, and retrieved a cell phone from a hidden pocket in the robe of his gi.

"I have to take this…" he whispered as he stood and exited the room and walked to the balcony. All watched as he spoke on the phone through the soundproof balcony, and then hung up the phone. "I'll be back later!" he called as he ran out of the hotel room.

"There is something so wrong about a guy like that having a cell phone…" Heiji said after a pause.

"I still don't trust him…" Ally muttered skeptically, "There's still somethin' there, somethin' he isn't being clean about…."

"I'll follow him, then…" Yukiko replied and rose out of her seat, "I'll try to find him, and call you guys when I do…"

"Okay," Fuji nodded, and all watched as Yukiko exited the hotel room. "They've still got it…" Fuji laughed in amusement.

"Got what?" Ally inquired in irritation.

"Nothing, nothing," Fuji chuckled lightly to herself, "C'mon, guys, let's get shakin'!"

The Local Theater District:

"This is the point where I lost him…" Yukiko mumbled to herself, "Could this be where he is now?" she inquired as she looked up at a theater sign, "I know he and Julie had a lot of acting friends… He and Julie… Yeesh…" She shook her head, and entered the building. She was shocked at first by the loud banging of familiar Japanese drums. Yukiko walked into the auditorium, which held a silent audience full of young children. She looked forward at what the children were staring at, and found it was kabuki actors, all performing on the shiny wooden stage. She noted one actor in particular being taller than the others.

"Toshiro…" she whispered in shock, "What's he…"

"Shh," a child whispered. Yukiko nodded, and seated herself numbly. She watched as the actors performed an ancient Japanese play on the stage, and nearly forgot about how she was to call Fuji and the others. Luckily, right as the actors went into _Tankobushi_ (the coal miner's song), a traditional Obon dance, it dawned on her, and she called Fuji.

"Heya, Fuji?" Yukiko whispered, "I'm at the Dobbs Theater, do you know—"

"Yeah! Be right there!" Fuji replied, and hung up the phone. Yukiko removed her phone, and turned back to the stage, where at this time, the taller Asian spotted her, and became pale under his makeup.

The Lupin gang arrived, and all sat in stunned silence until the end of the show. All of the actors exited the stage, but one in particular appeared from behind the stage moments later, and walked towards the Lupin group, still in full makeup and dress.

"You want to explain this?" Heiji inquired, looking Toshiro up and down in shock.

"I agreed to do this months ago, as a favor to some friends of mine. They needed some help with the Asian culture and dances… This is a charity event, to help underprivileged children learn about different cultures," Toshiro explained.

Fuji paused, "And… What'd you get out of it?"

"The smile on a child's face and an excuse to wear makeup in public," Toshiro replied calmly.

"I know you were being sarcastic about at least one comment, but the scary thing is, I'm not sure which one…" mumbled Heiji.

"You… Gave up going over plans for stealing an ancient scroll that someone's going to pay millions for, in order to do something for free?" Fuji choked, "What—What in the hell is WRONG with you!?"

"I've been doing charity for a good many years, Fuji," Toshiro reminded her, "I don't always require a reward. Doing things should not always require payback."

"But it sure as hell helps! My family did not make their fortune off of charity! It's a dog eat dog world!" Fuji replied.

"You don't understand, and you never will, because you're a Lupin," Toshiro sighed, "I'm going to change. See you all in a few moments."

"I don't get him! FREE!?" Fuji muttered, clutching her forehead, "He's almost as bad as Ari when it comes to tree huggers!"

"I wonder if they ever unhooked him from that chair…" Ryo thought aloud to herself as she thought back to Ari.

"Hey, I thought you were changing out of your makeup…" Heiji frowned as he looked costume-clad figure next to him up and down.

"That isn't Toshiro…" Odori whispered as she slowly began to unsheathe Zantetsu, "Get the children out of here; I don't care how…"

"Ally," Heiji nodded to Ally, and Jigen back nodded in response. The two then went to work clearing out the theater as quickly as possible by ushering the children out of the theater quickly.

Odori took a stance out in front of the mysterious mask-wearing samurai, and drew her sword out of its sheath. The samurai in full kabuki costume also drew out a blade, and as he did this, all noticed several other kabuki samurai come out of the shadow. The group of about twenty kabuki warriors quickly invaded the group, while a middle-aged Japanese woman in a black kimono looked onward from the stage. 

Toshiro came out of the dressing room, expecting a calm and complacent group, save for the riled Fuji, but instead walked out to a battle of centuries, "What's going on!?" he demanded in horror.

"A slight rodent problem!" shouted Ryo in response as she kicked the sword out of one samurai's hand.

Toshiro turned back towards the stage, and saw her. The woman in the black kimono. Toshiro began to slowly draw out one of his swords and numbly approach her when Yukiko shouted to him.

"Hey what are you—" Yukiko stopped dead suddenly in mid-sentence. Her eyes grew wide, and she fell to the group.

"Yuki!" Ally shouted, and ran towards his sister.

"Don't worry; the poison won't kill her for at least twenty-four hours," the black-kimono woman said with a smarmy smirk, "There is a cure here in my hand, but there's a price attached to it…"

"Okay, Lady, name it!" Fuji demanded as she looked downward at Yukiko, who was struggling to continue breathing.

"Goemon Ishikawa," she replied after a pause.

"Dad?" Heiji wondered out loud.

"No, not that old fool! This one!" she replied, looking down at the solemn Toshiro.

"That isn't my area!" Fuji shot back, "Name something else!"

"I'm sorry—He is all I require," she smiled as she slowly walked down the stage stairs and stood next to the much taller Toshiro, "You for your dear friend's life. It sounds reasonable to me…"

"I hate you," Toshiro hissed under his breath to her.

"I am only helping you to reach your full potential, Goemon-chan," she whispered, "You, and those swords of yours… A metal stronger than the metal that forged Zantetsu! Kept hidden from those bastard Ishikawas by the Rat Clan for centuries…"

"You set us up!" Fuji yelped it realization.

"Oh—Little slut has got a few working brain cells. That's a few more than her father or mother had…" chuckled the black-kimono wearing woman. Fuji frowned at her, but then put on her poker face. She removed a slip of paper from her jacket, and passed it to the woman.

"What is this?" inquired the woman.

"A paper, saying that I'm going to steal that scroll, after all," Fuji smirked in response.

"Fujiko, no," Toshiro said firmly, "I do not want anyone in this. I'm going with them, and I want no one to follow me and stop me…"

"Toshiro, no! She's bluffing!" Odori yelled.

"Oh, I'm not bluffing," the woman smiled wickedly at Toshiro, "It wouldn't be the first time I killed someone he had grown fond of…"

"Huh?" Heiji frowned, "Toshiro, what is she talking about?"

"I'm talking about that American whore he tried to muddy the Clan bloodlines with," snapped the woman in response, "Her and that out of wedlock bastard of yours she was carrying…"

"Oh my God…" Heiji put a hand to his mouth, and looked at his brother, "Toshiro—Did you and Julie really—"

"It doesn't matter," Toshiro snapped, "Give them to antidote. I shall accompany you, and give my full service to the Rat Clan."

"Excellent," she retrieved the antidote from her obi, and tossed it to Ryo, who caught it, and quickly went to work administering it to the fevering Yukiko while Ally held his sister in his arms.

"Come. We'll get you some new clothes, and try to get rid of that deplorable accent," said the Asian woman firmly. She began to walk down the aisle smugly, Toshiro dragging behind, his head hung low. Odori lunged forward, and went to slay the woman, but was stopped by none other than Toshiro. Both shared a tense few moments together before Odori silently and slowly backed away and sheathed her sword.

"I'm sorry. I am in their service now….I have to protect them, now… Take care of Yukiko for me…" 

"Coward," hissed Odori, "Toshiro, let me kill her, please! One swipe, and--"

"No, please. You don't understand. Now get her home, and wait until her fever goes down…" Toshiro ordered quietly as the two exited.

"Good bye, see you when I steal that scroll!" Fuji called happily to the Rat Clan member and her new bodyguard.

"She's a cocky one, hm?" chuckled the woman.

"She's Lupin," Toshiro responded quietly.

"What don't I understand!?" Odori yelled angrily to herself as she threw her sword to the ground in frustration.

"Look at their eyes, and you'll see," Ryo answered, "Come on. We have to get her out of here…."

"Guys, don't worry!" Fuji said reassuringly, "We'll get everything in the end! I just need to make a few phone calls, first!"

"Fuji, I'm honestly doubting it…" Ryo admitted as they walked out of the desolate theater.


	6. Bless the Beasts and Children

Disclaimer: I do not own Lupin III…. Lord, they know this… Yeesh…

Konnichiwa!

Read an article in a dentist's office, recently. Sounds otherwise uninteresting, but the fact that it was about squirrel hunting was what made it amusing to me. I immediately thought of Ally, and began to laugh softly in the middle of the office. Made the pain of knowing I'm going to have four wisdom teeth removed at once a little less frightening. Don't worry; in good time, we shall see Jigen, as well. Promise. Well, enjoy the chapter, fellas! See ya'll around!

Chapter Six

A Few Tense Days Later: Bless the Beasts and Children

__

'Born a poor young country boy—

Mother nature's son,

All day long I'm sitting singing songs

For everyone'

--The Beatles, _'Mother Nature's Son'_

A samurai gi lay folded carefully on an ancient wooden chair, and a pair of wooden sandals lay next to them solemnly. Toshiro had finally completed putting on the black and purple ninja outfit when the black-kimono woman entered, carrying with her a small tray. Toshiro turned, and glared at her coldly.

"There he is, the future leader of the Rat Clan," she said with a calm smile as she pulled a small stool over and stood atop it. She picked up a few articles from the silver tray, and proceeded to tie Toshiro's hair back into a bun, "Come now, face me, Goemon-chan."

Toshiro obediently and silently turned to face her, and she picked up a small jar as well as a brush. She gently brushed on the red makeup on the edges of Toshiro's eyes as well as either end of his mouth, and she smiled as she set it down, "There, now we are complete… Oh, except for your swords, of course…" She hopped off of the stool, and walked over to the bed, where Izanami and Izanagi lay, "I understand your Uncle Heiji sent these to you before he died… He stole them from the Rat Clan the same night he stole you… The only swords in the world able to face off against Zantetsu… What an honor it must be for you to wield them."

"I don't think about who they came from, just what they do. If I remembered that they came from the Rat Clan, I do not think I'd be able to handle them without becoming ill," Toshiro snapped bitterly in response.

She grew stormy, and slapped Toshiro across the face once, "Get those thoughts out of your head and that awful accent out of your mouth!" she hissed, "You are one of ours, now! You are where you belong, a million miles away from any of those immoral twits you call friends! Especially that cross-dresser, the one you seem to like especially!"

"Her name is Yukiko," Toshiro answered defensively, "She's my friend!"

"Your friend will be sent to you in small separate boxes if you don't start shaping up!" she snapped, "Now let's get to work! We have much to prepare for, and little time to accomplish all of it!"

"Yes…" Toshiro nodded.

"Yes, what?" she implored.

"I won't call you by that term. You do not deserve it," Toshiro replied.

"You and your liberal upbringing… You're a spoiled brat, and all Goemon did was let you get away with whatever you wanted…" she mumbled under gritted teeth. "If I had the strength, I'd have killed the man years ago…"

"You still love him, don't you?" Toshiro smirked.

"Come," she led Toshiro out of the room, and slammed the door behind them.

A New York City Hotel Room:

Puh plunk, cling! Puh plunk, cling! Max turned and sat his newspaper down as the strange noise grew closer and closer to his door. He rose, and pulled out his gun, and stood there quietly a few moments. He breathed a sigh of relief and put his gun away as Leo entered the hotel room, haggard looking and attached to a piece of a chair by a set of handcuffs.

"Hey, Leo! Where have you been!?" Max laughed, "I was worried about you! I was just about to—"

"To what? Realize that I've been gone for four days!?" Leo snapped, "I would've been here sooner, but someone stranded me without bothering to tell me his phone number or the address of our hotel! Do you know how many Holiday Inns there are within five blocks alone!? Too many! I swear, it can't be good for the environment!"

"I take it you haven't been having a good day…" Max muttered.

"I would start crocheting, but I'd be too tempted to hurt you with my knitting needles… I'm going to take a shower, because I smell of New York homeless person!" Leo snapped, grabbed a suit from his closet, and trudged into the bathroom.

"Jeeze… It's like he's never been abandoned in a major city before! I swear, he's such a little crybaby…" grumbled Max, not knowing at that same moment that Leo was calling him an egotistical airhead.

The phone rang, and Max was first to pick up, "Zenigata, LeBlanc! We have news that Lupin's going to rob a group of Japanese tourists tonight, at a downtown building! She left a letter and everything! The whole shebang! I want you both down there as soon as possible! We're e-mailing you the address now!" said the Commissioner quickly.

"Great! I'll check it out, right away!" Max slammed the phone down, and ran for his computer.

Another Hotel Room in Another Part of New York:

"Jeeze… Does this guy ever get any e-mail? He doesn't even get Spam!" Heiji grumbled as he sat cross-legged in the center of a bed in front of his laptop. He had broken into Max's computer a few hours ago, and had surfed for any information pertaining to the Rat Clan, with little success, "He's really starting to bore me…"

"If we can't get information on them this way, then what good are you, Heiji-chan!?" Fuji chuckled, but then grew silent as Yukiko grumbled and turned in bed. She had been bedridden for the past few days, hardly able to keep a meal down. The medicine had spared her life, but had not cured her instantly. The road to recovery was a difficult one.

"Well, I can cook pretty well," Heiji muttered, "Oh, here we go! Hallelujah!"

"What is it?" inquired Fuji.

"The directions to the Rat hole…" Heiji replied with a proud smile.

"Heiji-chan, if I weren't so afraid of commitment, I'd say I love you!" Fuji squealed happily.

"No you wouldn't; I'm a geek, remember?" Heiji retorted quickly, pushing up his glasses, which reflected on the computer screen, "Here's the address, Fuji…"

"Terrific! We'll get Toshiro, and we'll get that scroll, too! I'll show them that they can't screw with Lupin!" said Fuji with a wicked smile.

"Speaking of Lupin, you know your brother will be there, right?"

"Yep. It's all going to plan…"

"To plan? What do you mean, to plan?"

"You'll see, Heiji. All in good time…"

"You don't tell me crap around here!"

"No, I tell you too much crap," Fuji countered, "And not enough of the truth. But like I say, why break continuity?"

"Whatever, Fuji," Heiji muttered as he shook his head and went back to work on the computer, "Hey, free downloading!" he perked up at the thought of a new computer program.

Later That Night:

"Ready, fellas?" Fuji inquired as she loaded her pistol for battle. All stood around Fuji, and silently nodded their responses.

"Me, too," they heard weakly, and all turned to see Yukiko leaning in the doorway, fully dressed.

"Yuki! You should be resting!" Ally gasped in horror.

"And do what? Sit down and be useless? Ha! Don't make me laugh, Ally," Yukiko replied, "Toshiro may have been hiding a lot from us, but bottom line is, he sacrificed himself for me, and now the Rat Clan's got him. We have to get him back."

"I agree. But I don't think it is wise that you accompany us, Yukiko," Odori answered.

"Dori, your brother and I are best friends. We haven't let anything come between us yet, why start now?" Yukiko replied in a tone with hints of pleading in it. "I've got to come…"

There was a long pause, but finally Heiji stepped forward, and soon after Ryo, and both helped Yukiko out to the car. The group, with Ryo as the getaway driver, headed down to the said hotel, where a police cruiser was already parked out front.

"Yep, this is it. Fellas, you know the drill," Fuji said with strong determination as Ryo parked the car and all exited.

Inside the Hotel:

"You're sure this letter is Lupin's, Ma'am?" Max inquired as he looked over the French-scribed letter signed Lupin IV. The Japanese woman in the black kimono nodded, and looked upward at Max.

"Yes! Please, we cannot allow her to steal those scrolls! They are sacred in my clan! If anything happens to them, I, I— I don't know what I'd do!"

"Don't worry, Ma'am. We'll make sure Lupin doesn't get her hands on those scrolls," Leo reassured her compassionately, "You have my word as an officer of the law that she will not even breath in the same room as those scrolls!"

"Thank you, Inspector LeBlanc," she said, wiping her tears away, "You may stay here, or look around if you wish. I hope you do not mind another one of our clan members being here, as extra protection."

"No problem, Ma'am!" replied Max with a smile.

"Now, if you'll both excuse me, I have to go speak with some of the other members of my clan… They will be so relieved to know that you two brave men are on the case!" she said, and then turned to exit, "Idiots…" she muttered under her breath as she exited the room. "No matter—All of his friends shall be dead soon, and he will no longer be a sympathetic sap, like he is now."

"What a sweet lady!" exclaimed Leo, "They're one in a million, nowadays!"

"Now, why would Lupin want these scrolls, in the first place?" mumbled Max as he took a cigarette out of his pocket and looked down at the several scrolls, protected by a glass casing.

"Please don't smoke; I have asthma," explained Leo.

"Crap… I'll go out on the balcony, then!" Max snapped, and opened the glass door of the balcony. He was taken by surprise to find that there was a woman dressed as a samurai already on the balcony, "Odori Ishikawa!" he gasped as he recognized the face. Max fumbled to throw his cigarette away and retrieve his handcuffs, but he was too late. Odori flew past him and ran into the main room, where Leo's eyes dilated as he watched Odori run to him, sword drawn. LeBlanc let out a high-pitched yell, and fell to the ground, missing Odori's low-flying blade by inches.

Leo raised his head as he watched the top portion of the glass case fall to the ground and smash into a million pieces. Odori smiled in satisfaction as she reached out to grab the scroll, but her hand was soon stopped by another blade. She looked upward, and did not immediately recognize the tall Asian looking down at her.

"Toshiro…" she mumbled in numb shock.

"Leave before I have to hurt you, Odori," whispered Toshiro.

"I can't," she drew back, and faced him, "A good samurai never backs down."

"But a smart samurai would realize this is useless!" Toshiro replied, "I'm ordering you as your older brother to leave!"

"HA! You're BOTH under arrest!" Max yelled victoriously as he appeared in the doorway, a pair of handcuffs swinging in his hand. He threw them at the two, only to have them cut into several pieces by Toshiro. Max's smiled faded as he watched the pieces of metal fall to the ground, "Ur, wow… The Commish didn't tell me about that one…"

Several other people fell down from the roof behind Max, all on ropes. Fuji smiled widely as she jumped off of her rope, followed by Heiji, Ryo, Ally, and Yukiko, who was helped by Ryo to get off of her rope.

"Yukiko!" Toshiro yelped in surprise, "You're all right!" he added as an afterthought to his initial shock.

"Toshiro? What the hell's goin' on!?" Yukiko demanded as she looked the samurai up and down, "You look… You look like…"

"A Rat Clan member," all looked to a set of open doors, where the woman in the black kimono stood, "Goemon-chan." 

"Goemon? Since when do you go by that?" mumbled Fuji in confusion.

"I knew it…" grumbled Ally, "I friggin' knew it…"

"All of you, please leave!" Toshiro begged, "I'm in their service now, and—"

"He doesn't want what happened to his girlfriend and child to happen to you, Yukiko… That's your name, isn't it? That's what he calls you…" she added smoothly.

"Toshiro, is she the one who…" Heiji started.

"Either way, she's going down," snapped Odori, who ran to the woman, her blade drawn. Once again, Toshiro stopped her.

"Dori, don't! She's my mother!" Toshiro yelled.

"What!?" all gasped.

"Yes, that's right…" she nodded, "Goemon may look like his father, but he has his mother's eyes…"

"She's right," Yukiko said to herself, "Hey, you wrinkly old bitch! You leave us alone, you hear!? Or else you'll have me to deal with!" shouted Yukiko.

"Oh, tough little cross-dresser?" she smirked, "Well, Lupin, let's see how your clan does against mine…" Numerous ninjas filtered into the room, leaving the Lupin members stunned.

"Well, this is fun…" Ryo sighed sarcastically as she fixed the trigger of her gun.

"Leo, truce?" Fuji whispered to her brother, "There're too many to take on by ourselves.…"

"Until we're out of here," Leo replied as he drew his gun out of its holster, "Max, truce with them for now, okay?" Leo shouted with his partner.

"What!?" Max yelped.

"They're trying to kill us, too, Max! That lady's tricked us!" snapped Leo.

"Crap, you're right!" Max yelled as one threw a ninja star at him, and nearly hit him. The star actually came close enough to cut several strands of hair from Zenigata's head, "Okay, okay! Truce—For now!"

"Great!" Fuji drew her gun out, and shot at one of the ninjas, who fell off Ally, whom he had tackled, "Get to work!" she ordered the other members of her group. They complied to Fuji's request, and Ally cheerily loaded his gun, and shot at the members. Meanwhile, Odori and Toshiro continued onward with their fight, Toshiro with the upper hand, due to his use of two swords. Toshiro wanted no harm done to his sister; only to convince her to leave with the others, while they still could.

"Listen! I don't want to hurt you!" Toshiro yelled to her, "Just butt out, and they won't bother any of you anymore!"

"Toshiro, get your head out of the clouds! She'll kill us, anyway! Just like she killed Julia and your child, and just like she almost killed Yukiko!" Toshiro discontinued his battle with Odori, and looked downward at the floor in great contemplation.

He looked upward in time to see his mother advancing towards a worn Yukiko, who was kneeling on the floor, holding onto her aching ribs. His eyes widened in horror as he realized his mother was wielding a knife, which she intended to use on Yukiko.

"No!" Toshiro shouted. Everyone in the room stopped their fighting, and looked towards him, in dead silence.

Yukiko rolled out of the way, right before a body fell on her. She looked down at the gasping body of Toshiro's mother in horror, "Holy crap!" she yelped as she looked downward at the blade, which she still grasped, "Jesus…"

"We can save her," Toshiro said, kneeling down and slowly pulling his blade out of her shoulder, where he had hit her without thinking. The woman began to laugh wildly through her pain, which frightened all of the Lupin members and each of the inspectors, "You're delirious… Come on, Mother…"

"You're such a bleeding heart fool… Just like your father… I'll never forgive that man for leaving me…" she mumbled numbly. She looked upward at Toshiro, and smiled, "I'm glad you turned out like him in the end, I really am…"

"We've got to get you out of here," said Toshiro.

"Here," Yukiko removed her jacket, and passed it to Toshiro. He wrapped his mother in the jacket, and lifted her upward.

"There's a bomb…" she mumbled.

"Say what?" Leo yelped.

"I planted a bomb, especially for the Lupin team… So you wouldn't have to worry about them anymore… I just didn't want you to run off with them… I wanted you back so badly, Goemon-chan," she muttered to Toshiro.

"Let's get goin', pronto!" yelled Ally frantically.

"You want me to try to disarm the bomb, Fuji?" asked Heiji.

"No time! Let's just go!" shouted Fuji. All ran out of the room, leaving the slain ninjas in the torn up room.

They quickly made their way to the stairs, and ran down the flights, until they reached the floor. There was a loud explosion as they exited, and all fell to the concrete ground. Leo laid an arm over Fuji as she fell to the ground, and Fuji looked upward at him briefly with great surprise.

"Thank God, it's the top floor!" said Leo as he looked up at the burning hotel.

"We need to get to a hospital, quickly!" said Toshiro as he rose from the ground.

"Wait, you're under arrest!" shouted Max angrily as he jumped from the ground and retrieved another set of handcuffs. Leo wondered how many pairs Zenigata carried on him.

Leo looked over at the Lupin group, and then at Max. That woman would die if he took them in, he realized as he looked at Toshiro's mother. He had a quick decision to make. LeBlanc suddenly began to gasp, and cough. Max looked downward at Leo, and began to pat him on the back fiercely.

"Inhaler! Quick!" Leo gasped. Max nodded, and removed Leo's inhaler from LeBlanc's pocket. Leo watched out of the corner of his eye as he breathed in his inhaler as the Lupin group vanished. That was a freebie, Sis, he thought as he put his inhaler back in his pocket and watched as the Lupin gang vanished into the night.

"Well, I guess some of the old Arsene is still there in him…" Ryo said as they drove along to the hospital, "He faked that asthma attack."

"I know," Fuji nodded, "That was nice, but that doesn't change anything."

"Come on, Mother, it'll be okay," Toshiro said quietly to his mother as he sat in the back seat with her. Ally looked over at him briefly in disgust, and then out at the passing scenery. He watched as Odori flew past them on Toshiro's Vespa, Yukiko holding on to the samurai.

"She's leading us to the hospital!" Fuji realized, "All right, Dori! Just keep swimming, Dori… Just keep swimming…"

Two Days Later, at the Hotel:

"Hey," Toshiro looked up from the old photo on his bed, and saw Yukiko in the doorway, "Odori wanted me to give you these…" she tossed him a bundle of clothes, and Toshiro unfolded them. It was a gi, with navy blue pants, and a navy blue top with a white strip going around the collar, "She picked them out for you, while she was downtown. She says it looks better than the light blue on you. She says she'll go out and buy a few more if you like them."

"Thanks. I do. I'll give her the money later," Toshiro nodded, and then waited silently for her to leave.

"I'll turn around," Yukiko said, sitting down on the bed and facing away from him, "How's your mom?"

"The doctors say she'll be better in no time. I didn't hit anything vital when I stabbed her," replied Toshiro as he began to change into his new outfit. "Thank God… I was so angry when I saw her trying to harm you… My intent, for a split second, was to kill her… I wouldn't have been any better than her in that instance, though, right?"

"However you want to look at it. To me, she's a few noodles short of a full bowl of ramen. So, I guess this means, since you got everything out of the way, that you're going to go home to your pigeons now, huh?"

"Kome's going to look after them…" Toshiro replied.

"You know, it's a good thing she's not my mom. Sakura hated birds," chuckled Yukiko. Toshiro gave a small cringe, and began to change into the gi, "Wait, so you're staying, I take it?"

"I have nothing better to do, really," Toshiro answered with a shrug.

"Thanks," Yukiko turned and smiled.

"Hey! Turn back around!"

"Damn, sorry…" mumbled Yukiko as she tugged her hat down over her eyes, "You're worse than a little girl… So, you _do_ wear the loincloth, just like your dad, huh? I thought so…"

"Done," Toshiro tied his gi together, and placed his swords on his back, "And please don't mention that to anyone. About the loincloth…"

"I won't, don't worry."

"And, while you're at it, could you speak with your brother?"

"Yeah, about what?"

"I found a squirrel head in my bed this morning," Toshiro answered blandly.

"Oh, wow… He doesn't really like you… It takes a while to get Ally to trust you…" Yukiko answered, "Maybe you two could bond a little."

"Only if he goes through several metal detectors, first," Toshiro answered, "I'm not here to win a popularity contest; I just want cooperation from him." He walked over to where Yukiko was seated, and sat next to her, "I'm so sorry I lied so much… I'm not a good liar, I'll admit… I won't do it again, I promise. We've been friends for years, and I put a lot of that on the line by making myself suspicious…"

"You're wrong, Toshiro," Yukiko shook her head, "We both really changed. I mean, you do a lot of good around here—And I'm some punk who part-times as an assassin or body guard."

"You're also a trustworthy friend," Toshiro added, "You came to my rescue, and believed in me when no one else did—Not even Heiji or Odori!"

"We've both really changed, though. No friggin' doubt about that…."

"Well, then a reintroduction is necessary!" Toshiro answered, and stuck his hand out, "I'm the Robbing Hood of New York."

"And, I'm La Diabla Blanca de Barcelona," added Yukiko, taking his hand and shaking it, "Nice to meet you…"

"Same, here," said the Robbing Hood to La Diabla Blanca de Barcelona.

A Country Road in New York:

"So, you didn't get the treasure, no one got the girl or the guy, and the only reason we aren't in jail right now is because your turncoat brother faked an asthma attack out of pity… Jeeze, that's pretty damn pathetic, even for you, Fuji!" said Heiji as he, Ryo and Fuji drove along the road, Fuji at the wheel.

"So, what was Toshiro's mom's thing, anyway?" inquired Ryo, turning to Fuji, "I know you know. You have that 'I know something you don't' smile on."

"She figured that she'd wipe out everything and everyone Toshiro cared for in steps. Ally and Odori went to his apartment to check it out for bombs. Unfortunately, she had already gotten to Julia and his kid before we even knew about it. She figured he'd be so depressed after their death, he'd jump at the chance to work with us. She dropped me a line about the scroll as a ploy to get me to bite. And, being the stupid young fish I am, I bit. She was our mystery buyer all along. It was only coincidence that Ari and Max were there, but she figured it'd work in her favor, since Max is sort of related to Toshiro, and she was planning to hit the relatives next."

"I love how she can put things in perspective," Heiji said in a mumble after a pause of silence.

"Just like Lupin. Always with the answers—But usually a little late with them…" snapped Ryo in annoyance.

"Hey, Heiji-chan, do me a favor, will you?" implored Fuji.

"Yeah, what?" inquired Heiji.

"Could you reach down the front of my dress?" asked Fuji. Heiji fell back in the back seat of the car in surprise, and even the usually composed Ryo wore a look of surprise.

"Go ahead. I trust you," said Fuji.

"I am living every man's dream right now…" Heiji said to himself as he reached downward, and pulled out a scroll. Both Ryo and Heiji looked down at the Rat Clan scroll, stunned in surprise.

"How in the hell did you fit that in there? Isn't your bra full enough?" wondered Ryo out loud.

"Specially built to hide certain necessities, whether it be a pistol, a large sum of bills, or a scroll," answered Fuji, "Not exactly Victoria's Secret catalogue type stuff."

"That's amazing," mumbled Heiji as he opened the scroll, and began to laugh and shake his head, "I am now officially the happiest man in New York right now…"

"Send it to your dad, and tell him I said happy birthday."

"His birthday isn't until January."

"Aquarius. That figures," mumbled Fuji as she turned a corner, "Well, let's head back. We've got to pick up the guys."

"I want to pay a visit to Daddy, if that's all right, Fuji," said Ryo, "I want to see if he has a certain gun model I'm looking for."

"Boys, guns, guns, boys… Your thoughts only travel in two directions, Ryo!" laughed Fuji as she stepped on the gas and turned another corner.

"Damn, watch it!" snapped Ryo, "I'm going to lose my lunch in a second."

"Nag, nag, nag…" mumbled Fuji.

INTERPOL Headquarters, New York:

"I have never been yelled at for that long a period of time…"said Max aloud as he and Leo exited the commissioner's office. Max stopped for a moment, removed a bottle from his pocket, and popped two Tylenol in his mouth. He went to put the Tylenol away, but Leo grabbed it, swallowed five Tylenol, and tossed it back to Max.

"I have. I've worked here. You have no people how touchy people can get when you start speaking to them in the wrong language," Leo sighed, "You want to get lunch?"

"Sure. We can split the bill," Max added quickly, "I'm going to get a cup of water from the cooler. I'll be back…" Max walked down the hall of the offices, and retrieved a cup of water from the cooler, "Dad, I can't take a long yelling, once—You probably got them weekly. I never knew that," Max admitted to himself as he crumpled the paper cup and threw it in a trash can, "Don't worry—I'm going to catch Lupin. I'll set the family right again."

"You're talking to yourself… Are you stressed?" asked Leo suspiciously.

"I was just verbally beaten for a half an hour, Leo, and I'm great! I've never felt better about being called a failure in my LIFE! Right now, I'm hoping the Commissioner'll come back, just so he can call me a drama queen and you and pedantic bookworm AGAIN! I'm loving every second of life, LeBlanc!"

Leo blinked a few times, "Ur, good to know… You up for Thai?"

"Sounds great," Max said, and with that, both exited the INTERPOL station. 


	7. Oye Como Va

DISCLAIMER: Don't own Lupin III… But God, wouldn't it be nice, eh?

Bienvenue!

Good to know that even after everything, people like this fic. It's always risky starting with new characters, especially when dealing with adamant OC haters. Won my first writing competition after three tries, so that put me in an inspired and happy mood. Happy enough to finally get this chapter out. By the way, not sure if I answered this, but Leo and Max are the names of the two main characters in _The Producers_, one of Mel Brooks' best films and an awesome musical.

Enjoy the chapter!

Chapter Seven

A Few Days Later: Oye Como Va

'Love, love me do,

you know I love you,

I'll always be true,

So please love me do,'

--The Beatles, _'Love me do'_

Chicago, Illinois:

"What in the hell did you do with the phone!?" an aged Jigen Daisuke shouted upstairs to his always understanding and calm wife, Li Yan Jigen (a.k.a. Ming Jigen).

"What'd you do with it!? You had it last!" Ming shouted back in response.

"It's ringing now!" Jigen yelled as he walked down the stairs to Ming, "Jesus, why does it sound so damn loud?"

Ming sighed heavily, lifted Jigen's trademark fedora off of his head, and pulled out the telephone. Jigen looked downward at it a few moments solemnly before taking it out of her hand and answering it, "Hello?"

"Daddy, hi!" said Ryo happily.

"Ryoko!" Jigen said with surprise, "Hey! How are you, Honey? How was Australia?"

"All right. Too many kangaroos, though," replied Ryo, "The gang's going to swing by your and Mom's house, all right?"

"Great! When are you coming by?" asked Jigen.

"We're in the driveway," Ryo answered.

"What!?" Jigen yelped.

"What is it?" asked Ming quietly.

"Look in the driveway," Jigen whispered. Ming walked over to the window, peered through the blinds, and gasped in surprise. She looked back at Jigen, and then ran to the door and opened it. She embraced Ally, who was the closest to the doorway.

"Hiya, Mom," Ally said as he embraced his mother.

"Hi, Ally!" Ming returned, "Oh, come in, guys, come in!"

"I guess I can hang this up now," Jigen mumbled, hanging up the phone, "I'm going to put it on the charger." He began to walk over to the back room. In the process, however, he tripped over a stool to his left. Yukiko ran to her father, and helped him back up onto his feet.

"I'm sorry! I forgot to tell you about that!" Ming gasped, "Are you okay?" she inquired as she dusted him off.

"Yeah," Jigen answered, "Jesus, sometimes I think I should shoot Lupin for running me an' Goemon down. He's got a jumpier heart than a rabbit, and I've only got one good eye left that I can only see with in the daylight! And damn Pops is over the other side of the hill and down the road, and he can run marathons if he wanted! At his age! I guess this is my punishment for being so cocky around him all of those years…."

"What?" Toshiro gasped in horror.

"Yeah," Jigen lifted his hat from over his eyes, revealing one glazed over blue eye and one dark deep brown eye, "Hey, Toshiro! Didn't see you! How've you been, huh? How's New York, Kid?"

"Can't complain," replied Toshiro.

"Jeeze, you look more like Goemon each time I see you! Except for your height, of course, and your voice… How's your dad, huh? I talk to him a lot, sure, but I can never count on getting a straight answer from him," said Jigen.

"Dad's good," Heiji cut in, "All of the other kids are keeping him busy as ever. You and Ming thinking about any more, Jigen? Still not too late, y'know!"

"No way, man! Three is more than enough!" Jigen laughed, "I'm only a few years away from sixty—I should be concentrating more on getting the ones I have married off!"

"That's rich, considering who it's coming from," Yukiko snorted.

"Hm…" Ming bit her lip, and put a hand on Jigen's shoulders, "Well, you kids are welcome to stay as long as you like, all right? Thank God I've been baking all day, huh!?" she laughed weakly, and exited the room.

"C'mon, guys, let's go to the living room," Jigen led the group into the living room, and each seated themselves throughout the room. Jigen seated himself in a recliner, while Heiji, Yukiko, and Toshiro seated themselves on the couch and Ally and Fuji sat on the loveseat. Odori seated herself on the floor, and Ryo vanished to find her mother.

"Mom?" Ryo found her mother in the kitchen, baking, "Mom, what's wrong?" she inquired, and leaned over to read Ming's face, "Oh my God… You're going to have a baby, aren't you?… Wow… Well, have you told him yet? Jesus…"

"I don't know if it's for sure, but things have sure been pointing in that direction lately," Ming shrugged, "We've been happy with you kids grown and making your own decisions… Now, to start all over again. I'm just glad he's not the one who's had the four heart attacks, like Goemon! He's just blind in an eye and missing two back molars."

"When did he get molars taken out?" asked Ryo.

"He didn't; I accidentally knocked them out," replied Ming coyly, "He's getting two replacements put in tomorrow by the person he knows as 'the only good dentist out there anymore'. For now, they gave him a bridge to help him eat."

"How did you knock them out?" inquired Ryo.

Ming shrugged, "I told him no meant no, and he wouldn't listen. So, I—"

"That's all I have to know, Mom," Ryo sighed, "I'm going to go out there and talk with them, all right? You just keep baking away. I know it's a stress reliever for you."

"And the reason your dad's sallow cheekbones aren't as defined as they once were. The man can eat," Ming sighed as she removed a batch of cookies from the oven, "Maybe I can send these to Lupin and Fujiko. It's got to be some holiday somewhere, right? Lupin's French—Isn't Bastille Day or something this month?"

"Along with the throw pillows Ari sends them, I'm sure they'll adore them," replied Ryo as she made her way out to the living room.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Toshiro was catching up to what his family had been doing in past years, while he had lived in New York.

"A bookstore?" Toshiro frowned. "Jigen, you run a _bookstore_?"

"Yeah, but say you're looking for a book about John Dillinger, and watch what happens. Dad'll take you back to a selection that ain't on a reading list," Yukiko smirked.

"Hee hee… Well, I guess I got a little bit of it left in me," Jigen smirked modestly.

"The shop has the best selection of firearms and Braille books in Chicago," explained Yukiko, "And the best selection of cheesy romance novels, too."

"Which Dad orders and stocks himself," said Ally with a wink. Jigen flushed red, and sputtered in defense until Ming arrived, along with several glasses of ice and a large pitcher of tea.

"Anyone for iced tea?" Ming inquired.

"Ah, the perfect hostess," Jigen sighed.

"Shut up before I feed your temporary molars to Martha III," Ming retorted, glancing down at the young Dalmatian pup who looked upward hopefully at her family. Ming passed out the tea, which each member of the group readily accepted. As she set her own glass down and poured Toshiro a glass, the rest of the group watched in silent horror as Jigen removed something from his mouth and dropped it into Ming's glass. He returned a smirk with Yukiko as Ming turned back around and reached for her glass. The Chinese woman let out a yelp of horror as she spied something in her glass, and glared at Jigen, who laughed heartily at her plight.

Ming glared upward at her husband, and silently stormed out, "I told you not to do that to me again!" she shouted from the kitchen.

"Don't worry; it's a little joke we have," Jigen explained as he picked up the iced tea glass, "Now, if you excuse me, I'm gonna go fish my dental bridge out. Be right back," he said, leaving a stunned and silent Lupin group.

"Man, your family's freakin' bonkers! I can see where you got it, now!" Heiji said to Ally as Jigen vanished up the stairs.

"Hey, I'm not nearly as crazy as those two!" said Ally quickly in his defense.

"It's just a new medication he's on!" Ryo sighed, "I hope…"

Another Part of Illinois, outside of Chicago:

"Your math skills are atrocious…." Leo muttered as he rapidly typed the figures Max had written down on a napkin onto an accounting calculator. Leo removed his reading glasses, placed them back in his pocket, and turned to Max, "You heard me?"

"Yeah, yeah," Max mumbled, "Jeeze… You just had to go and blow it, huh?"

"I had an asthma attack," snapped Leo, "I'm sorry. I'll try to suffocate a little more quietly next time."

"Thanks," Max returned, and laid his hands over his eyes. He lied stretched out on one hotel bed, while Leo sat cross-legged on the opposite bed in the hotel room, papers spread about him in a disorganized fashion. "The decorator for this hotel ought to be arrested."

"Go out and find him then. You have the power to arrest him…That's why they gave you a pretty little badge…" Leo muttered absently, "Three hundred!? How could we have a gas bill that high!? No, no, you must've added something in here somewhere… Do you know what the Commissioner's going to say about this?"

"Yeah, that we should learn to ride bikes," Max replied as he rose and walked into the bathroom.

"He's so much like his old man," Leo mumbled to himself darkly as he continued to punch figures to mail to the main office, "He's driving me nuts…"

"Such a little primadonna…" grumbled Max from the bathroom, "Dad and him would have a hell of a time together. They'd probably be best friends…"

"Hey, Max, look! Another e-mail from the Commissioner!" Leo yelled happily, "Ha! See, he doesn't hate us all that much! He still talks to us, afterall!"

"Really? What's this one say?" Max inquired, running out to the computer and reading over Leo's shoulder intently.

"That there's a concert going to be held in two weeks… The star of the concert is Sakura Yazuki… Lupin will try to interfere…" Leo mumbled.

"That's great, but there's something wrong with that," said Max.

"What? You don't like opera?" Leo inquired, turning to Max.

"No. Yaukzi's dead," replied Max, looking back downward at Leo.

Chicago, the Jigen household, later that evening:

Jigen and Yukiko were now in the family room alone together. The other members of the group were still out in the living room, content with chatting away with Ming.

"So, how're you doin', Kid?" Jigen inquired.

"Never been better!" Yukiko replied. Jigen smirked, walked over to her, and lifted off her hat.

"You shouldn't hide your eyes like that. No guy'll ever see 'um that way!" said Jigen with a laugh.

"Dad!" Yukiko groaned, "I don't want to talk about this again!"

"You're in your mid twenties and you've never been out on a real date!" Jigen answered, "I wouldn't care if I hadn't screwed up. Don't start too late, all right? I've heard of late bloomers, but my case was friggin' ridiculous!"

"Dad!" Yukiko moaned.

"Listen to me," said Jigen sternly, "Go out and find someone. Have fun, for Christ's sake. You're consumed with your work, just like—"

"Just like you were," Yukiko sighed, "I know, I know! You've given this speech to me many times!"

"And I mean it each time!" Jigen retorted, "Just do me that favor, all right? Please?"

"Okay, okay…"

"How about Toshiro, huh? He's a nice guy…. His voice sounds like a cat clawing on a chalk board, but that's about all that's wrong with him. He's nice, and from what I hear, he's one hell of a good cook."

"Ew, Dad! That'd be like me dating Ally!" frowned Yukiko.

"Please. As many times as you kissed him as a little kid…"

"Key word—Little kid," replied Yukiko.

Jigen smirked, "Ah, you'll come 'round. There are more important things to talk about, anyway. Look at this," he lifted a paper from a desk, and handed it to Yukiko.

"What's this?" inquired Yukiko.

"Read it," Jigen nodded.

Yukiko glanced over it, and looked upward at Jigen, "Sakura…"

"I know, I know… That's not it," he revealed a stack of papers, "This guy's been sending fan letters to Sakura to this address for months. Needless to say, your mom's not happy about it. This guy's the same shmuck who's sayin' she'll be in concert. I would think he was just a kook if his last couple of letters weren't so threatening. I'm worried about me and your mom, and Kome, and you, especially. You sing just like your mom, Yuki. It's a shame you went into this job—You could've gone into the opera circuit, easily. You sound so much like your mom…. And look sort of her, too. It's too bad you have my personality."

"Opera, yeah. Almost as steady a career as the one I have now," Yukiko quipped, "I'll talk with Kome tonight, if it'll make you feel better."

"It will," her father reassured her.

"Fine, then, I will. And maybe after I'm done you can explain to me why you dropped your bridge into Mom's tea glass," she laughed, and embraced him, "Jeeze, getting' a little stiff there, old man!"

"Just pre-rigermortis," Jigen laughed, "See ya, Kid. Go talk to your mom a little, too. We both miss you a lot. It's not the same without you an' Ryo around here raising hell anymore."

"Hey, you always have Ally," chuckled Yukiko.

"Yeesh," Jigen rolled his eyes, "The kid could play for the Maple Leaves if he would just learn to control that damn temper."

"Well, I'll see, Dad. Gonna go visit mom now," Yukiko tilted her hat downward, smiled confidently, and exited out of the room.

"God almighty I'm afraid for her," mumbled Jigen, "She's too much like me for her own good…"

Yukiko walked down the hall, and peered over the set of stairs, where she could see everyone else in the living room. All were laughing and sharing stories, save for Toshiro, who simply sat in a leaning forward position, an intent look upon his face, and Odori, who sat silently and looked extremely disinterested. Yukiko knew that the samurai would rather be drinking sake.

"Hey, why don't we go out to dinner, huh? Do you think you all could swing it, Fuji?" inquired Ming hopefully.

"Sounds like a great plan, Ming!" Fuji admitted with a wide smile, "Who's up for Italian?"

"NO! I, I mean, no…. Too many Italians who run those restaurants as mob fronts want Jigen dead," Ming chuckled uncomfortably.

"I could go for Spanish," said Heiji, "And they'll even have rice, Dori!"

"Why does everyone call me that?" grumbled Odori, "Do I look like a fish?"

Heiji tilted his head in thought, "Well…"

Odori rose, and drew out her sword, "Bakaro!" she hissed.

"Odori!" Ally and Ryo rose, and restrained Odori. Heiji stuck out his tongue, and Odori lunged, nearly causing Ally and Ryo to fall into the glass coffee table.

"Okay… Spanish it is…" said Ming over the fighting team.

Later:

"Can't come?" Ryo repeated, "Why not?"

"Your dad's teeth are hurting him again. Deserves it after that stunt, but I've still got to take care of him," said Ming with a sigh, "Maybe some other time, guys," Ming shrugged.

"Okay, Mom," Ryo embraced her mother.

"We'll get dressed at the hotel," added Fuji.

"Dressed? How fancy is this place?" asked Ally.

"Well, I couldn't book the restaurant, so Ming found a club she goes to all the time," Fuji explained.

"Clubber by heart," Ming shrugged, "It says so on the bumper sticker on the Romeo."

"Well, I guess I'm going to have to change into the pearl white suit," sighed Yukiko.

"You could always borrow one of my dresses, Yuki," suggested Ryo.

"Ew," Yukiko retracted in horror, "No, thanks!"

"And to think, you used to wear nothing but beautiful party dresses that Fujiko would buy for you," sighed Ming.

"When I was five!" Yukiko yelped in response.

"All right, let's get this freakshow on the road," said Fuji, "Bye, guys!"

Later, at the Hotel:

"No, I'm not gonna do it, Ryo!" snapped Ally.

"Come on! You'd look so much better!" Ryo said as she chased him about the hotel room, finally tackling him and holding him down until she had finished.

Ally rose from the floor, and looked at himself. His usually long bangs were now slicked back tightly to his head, making him look like a young Jigen, sans beard, "See, you look terrific!"

"I look like some kind of bird," Ally grumbled as he turned his head to a side, "Dad thought I was joking about that nose job, but I'm really considering it."

"We're ready!" said Ryo as she exited the hotel room, dragging Ally out by his hand. The others had already assembled out in the hallway, looking their best. The most surprising was Toshiro, who had changed into regular clothing; namely a dark blue button-up shirt and gray slacks. Yukiko had changed out of her pinstriped suit, and wore a solid white vest and slacks, as well as a black button up shirt. Odori had opted for a kimono instead of a gi, and the others had dressed up, as well.

"All right, you guys ready to go crash a party?" Fuji laughed villainously, "Gonna find some fun tonight!"

"In the form of someone's boyfriend," Ryo countered.

"I'm compulsive—I steal anything that appeals to me!" Fuji retorted.

"And anything that will get us killed," mumbled Odori sardonically.

The group drove down to the club Ming had spoken of, and were allowed in after Fuji offered the bouncers their VIP passes, which were in the form of a few $100 American bills. The club was rather loud when they entered, and almost immediately Ally and Fuji had parted ways with the group, and walked off with prospective dates for the evening. Soon enough, Ryo and Odori were picked up, Odori's 'date' choosing her because of her strong personality. Heiji found his own dance partner, and Toshiro was reluctantly drug out onto the floor by a wild-looking girl.

"Hey, c'mon, Sweetie!" laughed a girl, taking Toshiro by the hand. Toshiro looked back at Yukiko desperately, but Yukiko only smirked and waved him good-bye. Toshiro moaned, and painfully disappeared in the crowd.

"Well, time for this wallflower to find her roots," Yukiko sighed, walking over to the bar and ordering a Tequila, "Okay, Buddy, how much?" Yukiko inquired as she reached for her wallet.

"It's paid for, Miss," replied the bartender.

"Say what?" Yukiko frowned.

"A gentleman over there paid for it," replied the bartender, nodding back to a Spanish man sitting on the other side of the bar.

"Huh…" Yukiko smiled, and waved her thanks to the man sitting at the bar, "Well, that's civil of him. Don't meet people like that often anymore," said Yukiko to herself as she took a sip of her drink. She caught Toshiro out of the corner of her eye, and saw him now speaking with the woman whom had drug him onto the floor, and laughing away with her. Yukiko gritted her teeth together, and took a swig of her drink. She nearly fell off of her stool as she saw the man who had bought her a drink sitting next to her.

"You seem to be alone," said the man to Yukiko, "I am Hector. It's nice to meet you, Senora."

"Senorita," Yukiko corrected, "Senorita Jigen."

"Ah," he nodded, "Nice to meet you, Miss Jigen. So, are you here alone, or with friends?"

"Nah, I came with," she looked back, and seethed as she watched the girl Toshiro had been speaking to pass him a slip of paper, which she presumed had her number attached to it, "no one… No one at all. I'm alone."

"That's too bad," he said with a smirk, "Do you dance too?"

"Uh, yeah, a little…" Yukiko admitted.

"Well, would you like to?" inquired Hector.

"I, um… You're still talking to me, right?" she asked, looking over her shoulder for anyone else that he could be addressing. She found no one, "There are a lot of other girls here, you know… Wait—You know that I'm definitely a girl, right?"

"Come on, then," he led her onto the floor before Yukiko could protest, "You know this one?" he shouted as another song came on. Yukiko nodded, and began by trying to lead, but quickly found that this was not going to be so, "I hope you don't mind if I lead!"

"I do, actually," replied Yukiko.

"Ah, pretty and independent!" laughed Hector, leaving Yukiko stunned.

"Is that Yuki?" asked Ryo to Heiji.

"Hey, yeah!" Heiji laughed, "What do you know!?"

When the song ended, Hector, I in a surprise move, bent forward, sending Yukiko dipping down, almost to the ground. He dropped her fedora as it nearly fell to the ground, and put it upon his own head, "You're a good dancer! Would you care to go out for a moment?"

"Yeah, I need a smoke," Yukiko muttered numbly as she grabbed her fedora from Hector and tilted it over her eyes. She followed him out, making sure that she had her gun handy, just in case she was being set up.

The two sat out on the roof of the old building, where there was a surprising and stunning garden. Hector sat on the edge of the building, and Yukiko was content to stay standing. She still did not trust him.

"Why don't you sit down?" asked Hector, "I trust you not to throw me off the ledge—I hope you would think the same of me."

"I don't trust easy, Pal. Don't take it personally—It comes with the territory," said Yukiko as she lit a cigarette and took a drag of it.

"Fine, then. I'll stand, too," said Hector as he rose to stand next to Yukiko. After of a few moments of silence, Hector walked over to an arbor, Yukiko watching him all of the time out of the corner of her eye. He walked back to Yukiko, now with a rose, and removed her hat from her head, and put the rose in her hair.

"I, um…" Yukiko looked down, and twitched a smile, "Thanks…"

"It matched your handkerchief," Hector explained, "Now, Miss Jigen, do you have a first name, or shall I keep calling you that?"

"Listen, I've got to go," said Yukiko, "I've got an early day tomorrow, and my folks are waiting for me at the house… So I'll see you around, I guess."

"Wait!" Hector stopped her, "Please. We'll get off at the rooftop, and take a walk."

"I can't, really…"

"My life depends on it."

Later, on a Street:

"So, you see, they are after me," said Hector, "They knew of my father, the great musician. They are insistent that he show to this performance, but he is dead! I keep trying to explain it to them, but they will not listen! I'm fearing for my life! They have grown violent with their requests, recently."

"So, they're the same guys who are looking for Sakura, eh?" Yukiko repeated, "How'd you know to find me, anyway?"

"Everyone knows what a terrific gunman your father was, and we all know of the White Demon in Barcelona. You would have them dead before they could even lay a finger on their trigger," said Hector, "Will you help?"

"Sure," Yukiko nodded, "Leave everything to me. My friends and I'll get those creeps faster than you can say pina colada. You just stick around until then, okay?"

"You're very kind. I'll have to find some way to repay you!"

"We'll work it out later," Yukiko answered, "For now, we can keep walking. It's actually pretty quiet tonight."

"Yes," Hector nodded in agreement, "Ah! I have it—We'll get dinner! My treat! how does that sound?"

"This late?" Yukiko inquired.

"We'll go to that place over there," Hector nodded over to a restaurant across the street.

"What? That place!? Do you have any idea how fancy that is!?" Yukiko laughed, "Please! The only way I'd get in there was if I was hired to wash the dishes!"

"No, seriously! I'll go home, and meet you here in an hour. You change into something to match that flower, eh?" he asked.

"I… Sure," Yukiko smiled, and nodded.

Later, back at the Hotel:

"I can't believe she ditched us!" Fuji snapped irritably, "Can you believe it!? Without a single word, she vanishes! Jeeze—And you pull me out of that great little thing I had going with those Russian models—I could've had a good night tonight, Ryoko!"

"And I was just starting to cozy up to those two wannabe actresses who thought I played for Washington!" Ally added as Fuji opened her door. All were stunned to find someone already in the hotel when they arrived. She was a short woman, but taller in red heels, which matched a bright red dress. Her hair was done up, and in it was a red rose.

"Hey," Yukiko nodded as she finished putting on a necklace and looking in a mirror.

"Yu—Yukiko?" Toshiro yelped.

"Are you wearing my dress?" Ryo frowned.

"Yeah? Oh, yeah-- I hope you don't mind."

"Wha—What are you doing?" he asked.

"Going out for dinner," Yukiko answered, "I'm surprised you didn't bring home that girl who gave you her number. Or were you waiting until you got home to call her?" she inquired.

"I— Are you going with that man you met in the club?"

"What's it to you?" asked Yukiko as she stormed past him.

"Great… First I have to worry about Ryo dressing like a whore, and now her!" Ally grumbled, rolling his eyes.

"Wait, where are you going?" asked Toshiro.

Yukiko stopped, and turned around, "Listen, none of you all ever cared about what I was doing earlier, why should you care now? Fuji never gets this much heat for going out with a horde of guys!"

"Because her father is a notorious man-slut," Odori answered coolly.

"Hey! He was James Bond-esque!" Fuji replied quickly.

"I'm goin'. See you all around," grumbled Yukiko, "Ya know, maybe just once someone likes—No, no… He's just doing it because you need your protection… But, all the same, I… Oh, nevermind!" she grumbled.

"There's something fishy going on. Either Mafia hitman is the new hot look for girls, or she's getting herself into a heap of trouble…" Fuji mumbled as she watched Yukiko exit.

"She's really cute," mumbled Heiji.

"Watch it!" Ally snapped, "That's my sister!"

"Well, both your sisters are cute. What the hell happened to you, I don't know, but you came out looking like a Gremlin," Heiji answered, "Kinda like me and Dori. I got the looks."

"Luckily, I'm not genetically related to you," Odori retorted, " which I thank God for everyday."

"Guys, let's go," Fuji nodded, leading them down the hall to the outside of the hotel, where an already perturbed Toshiro found his Vespa gone.

"She is really not on my good list right now…" grumbled Toshiro as he and the others boarded the lone vehicle.


	8. Victim of Love

Disclaimer: Don't own the Lupin III characters, although they're rarely in this, to begin with…

Gwaa!

You got me! Thanks first of all, Lealah, for the spelling correction. It was just a really late night and I could not remember how to spell that word for the life of me, and spell check was givin' me nothing. Amikazuki, I have the story posted on Fictionpress.net. There's a link to it on my profile page, and it's under 'A Sniper Named Jack' or something or other, I believe. It's the first chapter. I don't think I could've gotten away with putting the second chapter in a school-wide publication. And Kuwabara, I hope you're happy now that you got to see Jigen and Ming at last. As always, please review. I'm very lonely and need the positive words.

By the way, this might be coming out a little late with thanks to exams. Eck… Wish me luck…

'Tell me that you've got everything you want,

And your bird can sing,

But you don't get me,

You don't get me,'

--The Beatles, _'And Your Bird Can Sing'_

Chapter Eight

A Short Time Later: Victim of Love

"I thought you said you wanted to go to dinner… What's with the change in plans?" Yukiko said with confusion as she climbed off out of her friend's car and looked upward at the carnival scene. Hector had met with her at the restaurant, and she had left Toshiro's liberated bike there.

"I thought this would be a little more fun than a stuffy dinner," Hector replied.

"He he… Fun, yeah," Yukiko chuckled weakly as she looked down at her high-heeled shoes, "Anyway, let's get down to business…. I'll help you for about… Hm… How high can you go?"

"How much do you want?" Hector inquired with a smirk.

"I, uh…"

"Well talk about this later. Come on, why don't you try this game?" he asked, stopping by a shooting game.

"Well, okay," Yukiko shrugged, and picked up the play rifle. After paying the man, the carnival worker watched in horror as she shot everyone can off of the wooden plank, each with a clean dent in the center.

"Holy crap, Lady! Some eye you've got there!" laughed the carnival worker, "I'd tell your boyfriend there to watch what he says to you!"

"He's not—"

"We'll pick up the prize later," said Hector, quickly cutting into the conversation.

"Damn you're pushy!" Yukiko grumbled.

"No; you just looked as though you were about to shoot him!" Hector laughed.

"I'm surprised you didn't shoot him after that boyfriend comment. I have a couple of friends who would have," said Yukiko.

"Your friends who get angry over a comment like that ought to have some sense knocked into them. They couldn't be so lucky to have someone as nice as you as a girlfriend. Well, I've said too much now, haven't I?"

"No, not really," Yukiko shook her head, "Keep goin'. I'm startin' to like this."

A Local Restaurant:

"Well, there's Toshiro's ugly-as-sin yellow Vespa," said Fuji as Ryo pulled up to the said restaurant, where Ryo had figured they had gone.

"Ugly?" Toshiro frowned, "She better not have dinged it… Lord help her if she did… She'll pay ever cent it costs to repair it, if she did."

"I'm surprised that it's not in a lake right now," said Ally, "If I had it my way, it would've been!"

"I'm so very sorry I spoke with a woman," Toshiro said with a roll of his eyes, "At least I wasn't taking advantage of a couple of women who couldn't even speak the local language!"

"I wasn't taking advantage of them! I was just buying drinks for them!" Ally countered.

"Seven drinks! A piece! I don't know about you, but that'd leave most people barely able to walk, more-or-less think straight!"

"What are you trying to say?"

"You know what I'm trying to say," Toshiro hissed.

"Will you two knock it off!? As much as I'm just 'loving' this testosterone flare-up, Your sister and your best friend is being played, and we have no idea where in the hell she is!" Fuji snapped.

"You know, there's a carnival downtown," said Ryo as she snapped one of her numerous bracelets out of stress.

"Ryo-san, you're a genius!" Fuji said happily, "Let's get this chariot going, then, m'lady!"

"As you like it," Ryo replied, stepping on the gas of the vehicle.

Back at the Carnival:

"So, you were on the road too, much as a child?" Hector inquired.

"I—Yeah. Can't complain, though," Yukiko shrugged, "I loved it. I still do."

"You never think about perhaps stopping for a rest?"

"Rest is for when you're dead!" Yukiko laughed, "You don't seem to be in any hurry to stop and rest, yourself!"

"I'm not," Hector said with a shake of his head, "Although… I would stop, if I could just meet someone. You know what I mean, Senorita?"

"I… Yeah…" Yukiko looked downward at the ground, "My dad and I just had an argument about that earlier… I love him, but he's always pushing for me not to turn into him. I'm trying not to, but I can't help it!"

"Your father loved Spain, too, right?" Hector concluded.

"Yeah," Yukiko nodded, "I like it, too. I bummed around there for a few years. My grandpa took my dad there, and my dad took us there. It's tradition."

"I have a home there. I just came here to meet you. I've never been to the U.S. before this, actually!"

"You like your visit, though, right? I know a lot of people hate it, but—"

"I love it! But not because of the place—It's the people I've met!"

"Oh, yeah?" a weak smile appeared across Yukiko's face, "Yeah, uh, those guys in the club were really—"

"You and I both know that's not what I'm talking about," said Hector with a smile.

"You, you aren't?" she choked, "Well, then, who--" she would have continued, but she was stopped by Hector, who kissed her briefly, leaving her stunned.

Wow, haven't had that happen in nearly twenty years, she thought with shock.

"Come on. We can leave here," Hector said with a smile, leading her back to his car.

"Did you mean that? For real?" Yukiko asked as she seated herself in the vehicle.

"Of course! Why would I not?" Hector replied, "Come on. I have somewhere else where we can go."

"Really?" Yukiko raised her eyebrows, "Well, lead the way!" She looked over at him, and smiled. Maybe her father was right, after all. Perhaps she just needed to meet someone. Perhaps she had met him.

Across Town, in a Hotel:

"LeBlanc, come on! They just found another Lupin letter, this time at a theater! Tomorrow night's that supposed concert, and we've got to stake out the place! LeBlanc, you hear me!?" Max shouted through the bathroom door to Leo, "Hey, are you okay?"

"I'm not going! Not until you apologize!" Leo shouted back.

"What!? What if I don't speak the language that they do!? Then what am I going to do, then?"

"Sign language!" Leo snapped in response.

Max sighed, and banged his head against the bathroom door, "Okay, okay, I'm sorry…"

"Say it!"

Max rolled his eyes, "Purple isn't a girlie color…"

"_And_!?"

"You aren't a whiny little monkey-looking brat who lacks fashion sense and had a fear of intimacy with women…." Max grumbled, "There, happy!?"

There was silence, and after a few moments, the doors opened, and Leo exited, "Yes. Now let's get going."

"Don't forget your purse," Max sighed as he exited.

"Oh, don't worry, I— You creep!" Leo yelled as he stormed out after Max, "I ought to hang you for that!"

"You deserve it," Max replied, "Bowlegged monkey!"

"Two-bit hack accountant!" Leo snapped in response, "Blond-headed imbecile! Near-sighted ass!"

"Did you kill Barney for that jacket, Leo?" Max continued as they walked down the stairs of the hotel.

"You kill John Denver for that haircut?" Leo countered.

"John Denver's already dead!"

"Damn it," Leo grumbled, and shoved his hands in his pockets, and stormed out to the vehicle.

On the Road:

"Now, if I were a creepy freak who liked to take advantage of women, where would I be?" Heiji wondered out loud as they returned from the carnival, where they had seen neither hide nor hair of either being.

"Is that a trick question?" Odori inquired as she seated herself in the car.

"Hey, fish-fry, some of us are actually trying to use our brains! Not just our brute force!" Heiji countered.

"Let's see… They could be in a hotel," Fuji suggested.

"What!?" Ally and Toshiro yelped.

"Hey, it's where I'd be by now!" Fuji laughed.

"Well, that's you—Not my sis. She wouldn't do anything like that!" said Ally.

"No, Yukiko would never!" Toshiro added hastily.

"If she were mad enough at some of us, she would," Ryo replied, looking sideways at Toshiro.

"Are you saying she was jealous?" inquired Odori.

"Maybe… But maybe she's just glad that someone's paying attention to her. She isn't always one of the guys, as much as she likes to put on an act and think it. She's a sensitive girl, when it comes down to it. She's not good at showing emotion, but she has them," Ryo replied.

"Thanks for the synopsis, Dr. Jigen," Fuji laughed, "You sound like my mom! I swear she drove my dad crazy by telling him how crazy he was!"

"Your dad is crazy, point blank," Ally replied.

"He was crazy, but he was also smart," Fuji sighed, "I have no clue where they are… I'm out of ideas…"

"Don't say that. A Lupin never runs out of ideas. Just when you think they've lost the game, they pull out that card that they've been hiding all along, and win it hands down," said Ryo. "Now, come on, Fuji. There has to be one place we haven't tried…"

"Well, I… I don't know, Ryo-san! This city's huge, and they can be anywhere!" sighed Fuji in frustration.

"Well, we don't have to find them. We could always follow those two," said Odori, pointing to a car stopped at a traffic light. Fuji darted her head upward, and laughed heartily as she saw it was Leo and Max.

"Well, well, well. Looks like that lucky card you were talking about has just fallen into my lap, Ryoko!" said Fuji.

"Can I call them, or can I call them?" Ryo smirked as she pressed on the gas and worked her way through traffic until they were behind Leo and Max.

"Hey, Max, look behind us…" Leo, the driver, said slowly as he glanced at the rearview mirror.

"Why?" Max inquired.

"Just do me a favor and do it," Leo replied. Max looked back, and his face grew pale as he saw who was following their vehicle, "I'll be damned… What are they doing?"

"I think they're trying to chase us," Leo replied, "But, now, that wouldn't make sense, now, would—"

"Get behind them!" Max ordered suddenly, turning back to Leo.

"What!? How in the world do you expect me to do _that_!?"

"Then let me!" said Max, reaching for the wheel.

"Hey! Let go of the wheel, already!" Leo yelped, taking back control of the steering wheel, "Now, listen, and calm down. We'll go to the theater. If they're still following us, we'll arrest them there. Just get your handcuffs ready, Tiger."

"Don't worry! I'm already ready!" said Max with a smile as he drew his handcuffs out.

"You know… For not looking like your dad, you sure can look a lot like your dad when you're angry," said Leo, slightly frightened. The two led the Lupin group to the theater, where Max jumped out of his car immediately, before his car had come to a complete halt.

"Hey, Zenigata, LeBlanc, thanks! I couldn't find this place, and they all suck at giving directions!" Fuji laughed as she exited her car and pointed back at her comrades.

"Lupin! You're under arrest!" said Max happily.

Fuji rolled her eyes, and smiled, "Dori, Toshiro?" at her command, the two samurai exited, each with their respective swords drawn.

"Uh, maybe we should get them when they don't have pointy pieces of metal pointed at us, huh, Max?" Leo chuckled, taking a step back towards the car.

"Not after all of the crap I've gone through with them!" Max replied.

"Please!" Fuji laughed, "This is only our second chase, Zenigata! Your dad chased my dad around for almost fifteen years! Why end the fun this soon, huh?"

"Why you—" Max took a step forward, and flung his handcuffs at Fuji. Before they made impact, however, an explosion of smoke appeared out of seemingly nowhere, and when the smoke cleared, they group was gone.

"Where'd they go?" Max inquired, looking about in confusion.

"Maybe they're inside!" Leo suggested.

"Yeah! Let's go!" Max nodded, and ran out from the street into the theater with Leo trailing behind.

"This is almost pathetic," Fuji muttered as she watched the two from the rooftop of the theater.

"Almost?" Odori snorted, "This is pathetic. And barely worth my time."

"Ole' smoke bomb. Gets 'um ever time," Ally said with a laugh as he tossed another smoke ball in his hand, and then stuffed it in his jacket.

"Okay, we've got to infiltrate the theater now, hopefully without anymore disturbances from Heckle and Jeckle down there," said Fuji as she stood and began to walk around the rooftop of the building, looking for an entrance, "Damn… Where's the entrance? Tonight's not my night…"

"There's a hole through there," Toshiro nodded over to a darkened portion of the roof.

"Hey! You're right! Good job, Toshiro!" said Fuji happily.

"I know my rooftops like I know pigeons and Judy Garland songs," said Toshiro with a smirk. All looked at him strangely after the last comment, and he shrugged in response, "What's so wrong about enjoying Judy Garland?"

"Noting, if you're Ari," muttered Heiji as he followed Fuji down the hole of the building. The others soon followed afterward, and all found themselves on a catwalk above the stage. The stage was already set when they arrived, in the theme of a Japanese temple. There was a painting of a temple in the background, and for props, among other things, were a few faux cherry trees in full bloom, a red wooden bridge, and a fake stone bench.

"They doing _Flower Drum Song_?" Ally wondered out loud as he looked downward at the stages.

"No—Something else. But equally evil," Odori replied as she too looked down at the stage.

Outside:

"What are we doing here?" Yukiko asked as Hector pulled up to an old theater.

"Taking in the sights," Hector replied.

"What's an Alpha Romeo doing here?" Yukiko laughed, "Boy, that looks just like—" she stopped, and paused, "And that other car… Max and Leo… And—" she turned to Hector, "What's going on?!"

"Nothing you'd like to know," Hector answered as he retrieved damp rag and grabbed Yukiko by the neck. He held it to her face, and after some struggling, she passed out, "There, there… Soon, my dear, your mother's greatest fan will have his song, and I will have my revenge. And we will both be happy. Well, at least he and I will. You will be too dead to care."

Hector exited the car, and opened the passenger side, and lifted her out of the vehicle, and then carried her up the steps to the theater.

Yukiko awoke some time later in one of the dressing rooms of the theater, and immediately tried to move, only to find she had been tied to a chair. She turned, and looked in a mirror, only to find, to her shock, that she was dressed in a Japanese opera costume, save for the red rose, which was still in her hair.

"You probably want to know what's going on," she heard, and turned to Hector, who was leaning against a dressing table.

"What I want to know is if you were the one who put me into this getup, you pervert!" Yukiko snapped angrily in response.

Hector simply smirked, and looked back in the shadows, "There is your Sakura…"

"That's not her," said another, more eerie, voice from the shadows.

"She sings just like her mother," Hector reassured the voice, "And she looks like Sakura, too."

"Are you certain she can sing like her?" inquired the voice, which was definitely male in origin.

"Yes," Hector nodded.

"Hey, what's goin' on!? Show yourself!" Yukiko demanded.

"My Dear Sakura… You never paid any attention to me… But I kept a close eye on you, my dear…" said the voice. "I missed you so…"

"I'm not Sakura!" Yukiko snapped, "Oh, just you wait until Lupin gets here!"

"Why should she? You ditched them, remember?" Hector smirked.

Yukiko looked downward, and silently seethed.

"I hate to break it to you, my dear girl, but I already have a love at home… Much like my mother did, when your father killed her," he hissed.

"What?" Yukiko shot her head upward in surprise.

"Yes," Hector nodded, "I was very young when your father murdered her… She gave him the gift of a red rose when they met… I can not believe he never told you of this…"

"He probably did, and I didn't listen," Yukiko grumbled, "Dammit…"

"No matter," Hector shrugged, "You'll sing a pretty little song for my dear comrade here, and then we'll have a little fun…"

"Why do you want Sakura's voice, anyway!? Couldn't you buy a CD?" Yukiko snapped.

"Oh, no… For, you see, many years ago, I locked away a secret key to a treasure… Only Sakura's voice can open it. And it can only be the song she sang to me all of those years ago… Don't you remember the song, Sakura?"

"What song? Who the hell are you?" Yukiko demanded. An incredibly old hand reached forward, and grabbed her kimono collar, and drug her towards him.

"Don't you remember, Sakura!? That beautiful song!?" he asked frantically.

"Let me go!" Yukiko kicked upward, and kicked his arm away. He let out a moan of pain, and drew back.

"Little bitch!" Hector hissed, and went to strike her. The old hand stopped him, however, and Yukiko watched as Hector was forced to stand in front of Yukiko calmly.

"Do not hit her!" ordered the elderly voice, "Don't damage that beautiful face…. I haven't looked at that beautiful face in so many years…"

In the Theater:

"Van Buren?" Fuji repeated.

"Yep. This is his theater," Heiji nodded, "I remember now…. He was like this huge music fanatic… He's still alive, but he's like a million years old now! And a recluse, too. After the disappearance of his favorite singer, he went kind of batty."

"What was the singer's name?" Ryo inquired as they quietly searched the theater.

"Yazuka something," Heiji shrugged.

"Sakura Yazuka…" Fuji and Ryo muttered in unison. Both looked back at Heiji, and Ryo slapped her face, and shook her head in disbelief.

"For being so smart…." Ryo started.

"Do you think Van Buren's up to this, Fuji?" inquired Ally.

"With a little help from his friends…" Fuji responded, "Come on, guys. The wheels are starting to turn up in this thick skull of mine."

"I'm scared," Ryo retorted as they continued through the theater, "Usually when a Lupin comes up with a great idea, it means one of us gets in drag or gets shot!"

"I'm sure now that they have their main attraction, they'll move the show up a day," Fuji smiled, and looked over at Toshiro, "Toshiro-chan, exactly how much time have you spent on stage?"

"Years," Toshiro shrugged, "Why?"

"Perfect!" Fuji smirked, "Just hold on… I need to get all of my facts straight…"

"Like what?" asked Odori.

"Van Buren was a scientist, who worked with sound," explained Fuji, "Heiji's right on the money about him being a music fan…. Right before Sakura died, he was working on some sort of new device."

"A lock that only a certain voice singing a certain song could open!" Heiji added, "That'd be a lot harder than usual voice recognition."

"I'm thinking maybe Van Buren wants to open his lock now," said Fuji with a smirk, "And he needs Sakura to open it…"

"But Sakura's dead!" said Odori. Toshiro flinched ever so slightly, but then nodded his agreement.

"But what would that guy want?" asked Heiji.

"If he's behind this," said Ally.

"He has to be," Fuji shrugged, "I mean, honestly, Ally, how many guys have ever asked your sister out?"

"Well, not many, but—"

"It's weird, Ally. Too weird…" said Fuji, "Toshiro, I'm figuring out a plan, and you're part of it."

"You ask it, I'll do it!" Toshiro said, grasping onto one of his swords.

"That, won't be necessary," said Fuji with a smirk, "Just head back to the props, okay?"

"What?" Toshiro frowned.

"Fuji, what are you thinking, and why don't I have a good feeling about it?" inquired Ryo.

"Hey, footsteps! Let's hide!" Ally whispered as all heard approaching footsteps. All ducked under aisle seats, and waited breathlessly.

"They had to have gone it here! I just don't get it!" Max sighed.

"They weren't in the lobby, or the balcony, or mezzanine," Leo shrugged, "Let's check behind stage!"

"Gentlemen, may I help you?" both turned to see a smiling Hector standing in front of them.

"Yes," Max took a step forward, and retrieved a paper, "We're with Interpol—"

"See? Shiny badges," Leo smiled, revealing his badge.

Max sighed heavily, "Anyway, we received news that Lupin the Fourth was going to infiltrate the facility. We're here to inspect."

"Nonsense! We're simply going to have an opera concert! You gentlemen are welcomed to attend," said Hector.

"We heard about Yazuka singing, and that's another funny thing…" added Max, "Didn't she die?"

"No, no," Hector laughed, "She's just been in hiding many years! But now she is ready to shine once more!"

"Uh-humm…" Max nodded, "I see. Well, perhaps we can stick around and check out this concert…"

Leo gulped, "Max, we—"

Max smiled nervously, elbowed Leo in the chest, and chuckled, "Don't mind him. Knows so many languages, words just spill out of his mouth! Isn't that right, Leo?"

"Si. Hai. Oui. Ya. Ci," replied Leo blandly, folding his arms across his chest in defense.

"Isn't he a laugh?" Max chuckled, putting a hand on one of Leo's shoulders, "Perhaps we can meet Ms. Yazuka. What do you say?"

Hector twitched a smile, and paused a moment before speaking, "Yes. Of course. Follow me, gentlemen." Max and Leo proceeded to follow Hector down the aisle, and out to the main hall. When they had left, the Lupin gang emerged from the beneath the seats of the theater, and continued with their plan to get their friend back. And secretly Fuji also planned to steal the treasure that Van Buren might have.

Meanwhile, beyond all of the frantic searching and arguing, Yukiko had been released from her prison, but was forced to stay with the old man, who proved to be Van Buren. Extremely old, wheelchair bound, and somewhat senile. She had only stayed in order to assure his safety from Hector, some whom up until minutes ago she had trusted. So now as Van Buren wheeled along in his chair along a museum/shrine-like hallway, Yukiko stared in shock at all of the memorabilia he had collected of her mother. Yukiko had only known her mother as a waitress, growing up. She had not known about her other side until many years later.

"Do you remember this concert, Sakura?" sighed Van Buren as he peered in a glass case at a program, written in Japanese, "Please, read it to me—Will you?"

"The renowned opera singer Sakura Yazuka proudly presents her own rendition of Bizet's classic masterpiece, _Carmen_," Yukiko read aloud, "It was one of her last concerts…"

"I wonder what happened to her…" said Van Buren sadly with a moment of clarity.

"She ran off with somewhat she loved," Yukiko whispered, "Daisuke. They were happy for a few years, until their pasts caught up with them. Then, he left, and she settled in Japan."

"Daisuke," whispered Van Buren, "Ah, that nice mixed boy who came with you all of those years ago! Yes, he was there when you performed for me, and sang that song! The one that opens this!" he said happily, revealing an intricate music box-like device, "It holds my most precious treasure…"

"Wow, really?" Yukiko whispered, "Which song did she—Which song did I – sing for you?"

"You remember, don't you?" Van Buren inquired, "It was so beautiful… I had never heard pitch so perfect in my life!"

Poor fool, Yukiko thought. Hector was simply using him, like he had used her. He would kill her, and probably kill Van Buren and take his treasure after she had finished singing for Van Buren. Twisted psycho… If only I had my gun right now, she thought. I have to help him out….

"Well, Sir, I'll sing for you tonight," said Yukiko.

"You will!? Excellent!" Van Buren smiled, "You can sing that wonderful song again!"

"Yep," Yukiko nodded, and returned his smile.

"Come, then. Let us get out of here, and to the stage! Hector will love to hear you, as well!" said Van Buren, "Confidentially, I think he likes you, Sakura. But don't let your boyfriend know. Mister Jigen is quite jealous, and easy to seek revenge. I heard once where he killed a Spanish dancer who played with his emotions. But you would never do such a thing! Not a sweet angel like you!"

"Nope, I wouldn't," said Yukiko. She would not play with emotions, but she would seek revenge for having her emotions toyed with.


	9. There's no Business like Showbusiness

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Lupin III… I'm too tired to write a witty comment here…

Hi!

Passed exams! Ur, sorry… Tee hee… Hey, sorry, but there were some tough ones! Anyway… I read the reviews, and they're all wonderful, as usual. I'm glad everyone caught on to the Catch-22 situation with Hector. Nope, no one's in trouble for thinking there—Yep, it is a rock and a hard place.

I know some are clamoring for the revelation of Sakura… Will it happen? Ah, we shall see, we shall see. Anyway, I'm probably going to be writing quite a bit, considering summer vacation. Enjoy the chapter, bye for now!

'I love you, I love you, I love,

That's all I want to say,

Until I find a way,

I will say the only words I know that

You'll understand'

--The Beatles, _'Michelle'_

Chapter Nine

A short while later: There's No Business like Show Business

"So, you gentlemen are both from Japan?" Hector inquired as he continued his tour of the theater with Max and Leo.

"Actually, I was born in France," replied Leo.

"I was born there, too," said Max, "But I grew up in San Francisco."

"Oh, charming," Hector nodded, "Anyway, I hope you two with both enjoy the show a great deal. Ms. Yazuka is a surperb singer, as you'll see. I have to go, now, but I hope you two will both enjoy. You may go take your seats now," he added, quickly leaving the duo in the lobby.

There was a long pause between Leo and Max, before Leo finally spoke, "He's…."

"Really strange," Max finished, "Well, come on. I have handcuffs, if we need them. We'll be all right."

"I hope. I hate opera," said Leo as they both walked back into the theater, and took their seats.

"Yeah, I know. No explosions, no gunfire—What's the point?" both turned at the sound of a female voice, which turned out to be Fuji, who sat reclined in a theater seat while eating a chocolate bar, "I so should not be eating this—It's so bad for my complexion! Hm, but what are you going to do, eh? I guess I'm just a pig when it comes to sweets!"

"Lupin!" Max gasped, and rose, "And the rest of you, too!" he added as he looked from left to right, and saw the Lupin gang seated in the red cushy opera chairs.

"Except for Yukiko and Toshiro," Leo corrected.

"They're both a little busy," Fuji shrugged, and threw the remainder of her candy bar over her shoulder, "Either of you fellas got a mint?"

"You're under arrest!" Max shouted.

"I'm getting fat…" Fuji grumbled, "Look at these thighs! Jeeze!"

"I'd rather not," Ryo, who was seated next to Fuji, answered.

"Hey, guys, I think he really wants to arrest us this time," said Heiji with a bemused smirk.

"Sorry, but we can't right now. We're strictly rescue ops this time, Zenigata, I swear," replied Fuji, holding up her right hand.

"It's not polite to swear, and it's not polite to avoid arrest!" Max retorted.

"Who's avoiding?" inquired Fuji, "We just can't!"

"Why not, might I ask?" inquired Max.

"Because," Ally retrieved a box with a timer attached to it from under his seat, "these are all over the place."

Max and Leo paled, yelled and ducked down to the ground. Ally sighed in the disgust, and leaned over to speak to the two, "Heiji and I deactivated it, you drama queens. Don't worry, you're not going to blow up—Not this time."

"But there are bombs all over the place," said Odori, "Extra reassurance, I suppose. That or he and Ally went to the same school that teaches their pupils how to act psychotic."

"Hey, I graduated, full honors!" Ally returned.

"Do you all even realize that he's carrying around a BOMB!?" Leo yelled frantically.

"Hey, I told you, it's deactivated…. I'm pretty sure…." Answered Ally vaguely towards the end. He shrugged, an smirked, "Eh, either way, in ten minutes, we'll know, right!? You go, you go!"

"No way am I dying before I get a girlfriend!" Max shouted in protest. All paused, and stared at Zenigata in interest and horror. Ally and Heiji started to chuckle quietly after a few tense moments, which eventually turned into full laughter.

"You both shut up, or I'll have you both behind bars before you can say 'prison bitch'!" Max yelled.

"You've never had a girlfriend, Max?" Leo asked.

"Now's not the time, LeBlanc!" Max snapped, "We have a situation that needs to be put under control quickly! We've got to deactivate those bombs!"

"Yeah, you have fun," Leo sighed.

"Wait," Max frowned, "You don't know how to deactivate a bomb?"

Leo looked upward at Max, "I'm a language major with a minor in art history. They never really covered bomb squad training in either of those courses," replied Leo.

"Wait! Then how'd you get into Interpol in the first place!?" Max inquired.

"I took an online course," Leo shrugged.

"You took a—"

"How about you? Did they teach you how to deactivate one of those things?"

"I missed that day of police academy!" Max replied, "I had the flu!"

"You know, I taught myself how to deactivate bombs," said Ally, "But not before I learned how to make them…" he added in a soft maniacal chuckle.

"It's hard to decide who the scariest person here is," Fuji confided to Ryo.

"You're winning, with that makeup," Ryo retorted, "A fall wearing spring colors… You're a disgrace…."

"Okay, okay, could we please just stop for a moment and think like rational people for once!? I know it's a stretch for some of you, but this is serious!" Leo said.

"Ah, yes, it is," they heard boom form the theater. All looked around, but could see no one in sight. They could all recognize the voice as Hector, but they could not see where the voice originated. Before they could rise to look for Hector, they were knocked back into their theater seats by an unknown force, and bindings came up from the chairs to lock them in place by their hands and feet.

"I cannot think of a time where this happened and I didn't end up regretting it in the morning," said Fuji, as she looked downward at her wrist restraints.

"Can anyone get Zantetsu?" Odori whispered. After a few attempts at reaching for it, Heiji found it to be in vain, and he shook his head tiredly.

"Got a plan?" inquired Ryo to Fuji.

"Not a single one. I guess the hamsters who run the wheels of my brain got a little tuckered out," Fuji replied, "Hey, they didn't say that this came with the season passes!" Fuji shouted out to Hector.

"Shut up, you insolent brat!" Hector hissed as he came into view, "Your father and that wench's… Your father let him kill my mother!"

"Woah, back up. Too many fathers and mothers for my little brain to handle," said Fuji, "Now, why do you have your pantalones in a rut?"

"Daisuke Jigen murdered my mother," said Hector passionately, "I heard that Senor Van Buren was searching for Sakura Yazuka, and it's well know that she is the dead mother of Yukiko Jigen. He needed Sakura's voice to get his treasure, which I can share in, as repayment for my services and my effort. It took more than a saint's composure to not slap that little slut around. Does she let any boy kiss her, or just me?"

"Kiss her? You kissed her!? You creep, when I get my paws on you…. Oh, you ain't gonna like it!" Ally growled.

"You'll be the second one I kill, just because you look like my mother's murderer!" Hector yelled to Ally, and unsheathed a sword from his side, and held it to Ally's neck. All waited tensely, and let out a collective sigh as Hector sheathed his sword, and stormed away from them. Hector disappeared, and returned minutes later, now with Van Buren.

"Holy crap, he's older than Abe Vigoda!" Heiji gaped, "Is he like, Bob Hope's great-uncle?"

"Heiji, can it already!" Odori hissed, "It never helped to be rude to someone who wanted to kill us!"

"But he's all old and wrinkly… He looks like a pale little raisin…" Heiji whispered.

"Like your last girlfriend?" Ally retorted.

"Five years!" Heiji shouted in returned, "Five years older than me!"

"Please—You expect me to think that that was her roommate? That was her friggin' kid who asked me out, and she was twenty!" Ally shouted in return, "So does that means she had her when she was eight!? I mean, my mom was young, but that's a little crazy!"

"Shut up, all of you!" Hector snapped, "You'll ruin the show!"

"Show?" Max and Leo yelped.

"Yes…. Our lovely show, with my lovely little Sakura…" Van Buren whispered, "Hector, she's going to sing my song!"

"Yes, Sir, I know," Hector nodded. He snapped his head up viciously at the group, "And if any of you disrupt him, you'll pay dear consequences…"

"And I thought nuns were rough," Heiji mumbled.

"Don't worry guys… Van Buren'll love this too much, and Hector's going to be having kittens when he sees Sakura's costar," Fuji chuckled.

"Costar?" Ryo repeated, "Who?"

"Goemon Ishikawa… Master swordsman and knower of numerous showtunes, thank God," Fuji replied.

Meanwhile, backstage, Yukiko stood behind the curtain, looking out at the group, and Hector. She had seen Ally hold up the bomb, and had heard them.

"God, what have I done?" she mumbled, putting a hand on her forehead, "How could I be so stupid!?"

"Easily—You're your father's daughter," she heard, and turned to see what looked to be a 17th century samurai warrior smiling back at her.

"Toshiro?" she gasped as she looked him up and down, "Wha—What's going on? Why are you—"

"Don't talk so much; you need to save your voice," Toshiro replied.

"I can't go out there… But Hector'll kill that old man, not to mention everyone else!" Yukiko protested, "And he's gonna shoot me sometime during the act, and I don't have a gun!"

"You can't… But we can…" Toshiro responded.

"You can sing?"

"Your aunt gave me nearly fifteen years worth of practice—I think I'm all right," Toshiro smirked.

"I don't even know what song he keeps mumbling about!" Yukiko moaned.

"I do, but we aren't singing that. We're singing one of my favorites," replied Toshiro, "and if Dad asks about how we beat this guy, don't tell him we did it by reenacting _Madame Butterfly…_."

"I'll tell him you chopped up a bunch of stuff," Yukiko chuckled.

"Great," Toshiro gripped onto his sword, and smirked, "You ready? This probably won't win a Tony, but what the hell?"

"Yeah, what's the song?" inquired Yukiko.

"One that Van Buren ought to like," smirked Toshiro in response, "And this is for the encore," he added, tossing Yukiko her Magnum, which he had hidden within his kimono.

Back outside, the group waited tense1y, and Fuji smirked as she heard a loud female voice resonate from behind the thick red curtain. Van Buren muttered in confusion as the opera singer entered the stage, "That isn't the song…"

"You're getting a brand new performance, Mr. Van Buren!" Fuji responded.

"What!?" Hector yelped, "Why, I—"

"Shush! Hector, watch the program!" Van Buren whispered. Hector gripped onto the handles of Van Buren's wheelchair, and was too busy seething to notice that one of Lupin gang members had gone missing. Ryo had used a blade, which she had managed to work out from the inside of one of her bracelets, where it was unseen but usually handy. After cutting her one hand free, she did so with the other, and then her feet. She then moved onto to different members of the group.

Why do the leaves of the mulberry tree whisper differently now?

And why is the nightingale singing at noon on the mulberry bow?

For some most mysterious reason,

This isn't the garden I know

No, it's paradise now,

That was only a garden a moment ago…

She wasn't kidding about being able to sing…" Ally said to himself as Ryo undid his restraints. He quietly ducked down, and went to work on his bomb, but was briefly interrupted as he heard another voice, a masculine one.

Take my hand,

I'm a stranger in paradise

Lost in a wonderland a stranger in paradise,

If I stand starry-eyed, that's a danger in paradise,

For mortals for stand beside an angel like you,

"Toshiro?" Leo muttered, and blinked a few times in surprise, "Wow, I had no idea…"

"Hey, are you guys going to let us out, too?" Max inquired as Ryo freed the last Lupin member, Odori.

All looked at one another, and Fuji shrugged, "Might as well. We out number them, and we're all fighting for the same cause, it seems. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened to those idiots, as much as I hate to admit it…"

With three quick swipes of Zantetsu, Odori had both inspectors freed, yet frightened from the fact that the blade had come quite close to maiming both of them. Odori smirked as she sheathed her sword, and quickly ducked down into the aisle.

I saw your face, and I ascended,

Out of the common place, into the rare

Somewhere in space I hang suspended,

Until I know, that's a chance that you care,

"Who in the hell is he!?" Hector growled viciously.

"Hector, please, quiet—This is wonderful! A new song from her! I haven't heard one in so long, especially a duet… You enjoy music, don't you, Hector."

"Yes… But there are some things I enjoy even more…" Hector replied in a low whisper as he reached for a gun which he had hidden from Van Buren.

Won't you answer the fervent prayer of a stranger in paradise,

Don't send me away in dark despair, from all that I hunger for,

But open your angel's arms, to the stranger in paradise, and tell him,

That he need be a stranger no more….

"Watch out," Toshiro whispered to Yukiko as he watched Hector go to reach behind Van Buren's wheelchair.

"I got it covered," Yukiko whispered over the music in return as she placed her hands behind her back and took a step forward to continue the song.

I saw your face, and I ascended, out of the common place,

Into the rare

She glanced over at Toshiro, who now joined her in the song, and looked over at her, equally tense. Hector was glaring at both, with a look of death in his eyes.

Somewhere in space, I hang suspended

Until I know…

There's a chance that you care,

"Ally, how's it coming?" Fuji whispered as she looked over his handiwork on the bomb.

"No good," Ally sighed in defeat, "It's up to them, now, scarily enough."

"Great… My life dependant on a showtune… And after so many years of trying to get away from San Francisco!" Max groaned quietly as he ducked down and followed Leo out of the aisle.

Won't you answer the fervent prayer of a stranger in paradise,

Don't send me in dark despair of all that I hunger for,

But open your angel's arms to the stranger in paradise,

And tell me that I need be,

A stranger no more

There was a shot fired as soon as the song ended on Yukiko's high note, and everyone stopped, and stared in horror at the scene which they could play no part in.

"That was two shots," whispered Ryo to Fuji.

"You sure?" Fuji whispered.

"Yep," Ryo nodded in response, "I know my guns like I know my jewelry…"

"I fired! What happened to the bullet!?" Hector asked angrily as he looked down at his gun. He looked upward at a smiling Yukiko, and his eyes traveled down to her arm, which held a still-smoking pistol, "You, you…"

"Stopped the bullet midway. I know," Yukiko replied, stepping off of the stage, "Mr. Van Buren, I hope you enjoyed your show…"

"Yes, it was lovely, Dear," a nervous Van Buren replied slowly.

Hector fired another shot, but this was intercepted by a blade, or, two, to be exact. Toshiro watched as the bullet Hector had fired split into four pieces on the ground, and took another step towards him.

"Stop, or the old man gets it!" Hector yelled frantically.

"Give it up, you lost!" Yukiko yelled.

"I will NOT let your family get away with the death of my MOTHER!" Hector yelled at the top of his lungs.

"Listen," Yukiko sighed, "I know what you're going through. I—"

"You know nothing!" Hector yelled, "Now drop the gun!" he added. Yukiko complied, and slowly set her gun down on the ground, and then watched as Ally sneaked up behind Hector, and gave him one swift kick to the back of the head, sending him flying down to the earth. Max jumped on top of the would-be killer, and quickly handcuffed him.

"You're going down to the station, where you're going to get your own nice little room," Max growled as he lifted Hector up.

"No," Yukiko shook her head, "Let me talk to him," she lifted her gun from the ground, and walked over to Hector. Hector gulped hoarsely, and then nodded.

"Do it. I deserve it. You win," Hector nodded.

"No," Yukiko shook her head, "I'm not my dad. You were a fool to think that, and I was a fool to—Well, I was a fool, period…"

"I hear _that_!" Fuji shouted from the background.

Yukiko sighed, and continued, "I'm sorry about your mom, but you had no right to use me, or use a poor old man. Your mom did the same thing, and that's why she got what she did…"

"So, you're not going to kill me?" Hector inquired.

"No, but I'm going to do something that would make you wish you were dead," Yukiko replied.

"What do you me—" Yukiko proceeded to deliver a swift kick to Hector which made every man in the room cringe. Hector fell to his knees, and after a pause of stunned horror, Max drug him out, muttering about what a poor bastard he was.

"Leo, keep an eye on them!" Max ordered.

"Okey-dokey!" Leo waved, and watched until Max had exited the theater. He then felt someone embrace him, and looked down to see Fuji hugging him.

"Ari, we don't get to see each other enough!" Fuji said happily.

"Fuji, what if he comes back!?" Leo whispered, wriggling out of his sister's grasp, "And it's Leo LeBlanc, now!"

"Sorry, forgot," Fuji smirked, and took a step back, "I know, I know, we can't do this often—But I can't help it, sometimes! I miss my big brother!" said Fuji cheerily, "If you only knew how much I miss the Lupin Twins!"

Leo smirked wryly, "I know you do. But I don't follow that life, Fujiko! I'm doing this for your own good, believe it or not!"

"My own good?" Fuji frowned.

"You'll see that crime doesn't pay, yet!"

"Well, I'm the one dressed in Prada, and you're the one who eats Ramen and tuna!" Fuji smirked.

"You know what I mean," Leo rolled his eyes, "When I catch you, then you'll quit this!"

"When you catch me, I'll buy a turtleneck!" Fuji laughed.

"Now let's not make a promise you can't keep," said Leo, "Promise you'll quit if I catch you?"

"Yeah, yeah. But only if you catch all of us," replied Fuji, "And we'll be here waiting when you finally realize you're made for the family business!"

"Okay, here he comes. It was nice visiting with you, Fujiko," Leo nodded.

"Same here, Leo," Fuji nodded.

Toshiro looked to his left, and saw Yukiko, looking downward at the ground. Van Buren wheeled over to her, and looked upward at her, in confusion, "You really aren't my Sakura, are you?"

"No… I'm sorry, but I ain't," Yukiko shrugged.

"Well… You sing exactly like her…. Although you certainly act like her…" said Van Buren softly, "Do you suppose… After all that has happened… That you could open this?"

Yukiko looked down at the box, smiled, and took it in her hands, "Do you think you could tell me the song, Mr. Van Buren?"

"Yes… _I Know You_…" replied Van Buren. Yukiko glanced at Toshiro for assistance, and Toshiro leaned inward and whispered the lyrics to Yukiko.

"Ah," Yukiko nodded, and began to sing a bar from the song.

I know you, I walked with you once upon a dream…

The box slowly opened, and all leaned forward to see the treasure inside. Van Buren smiled, and took the box from Yukiko, "Ah, there it is…" He reached inward, and pulled out a black and white photo, "To one of my largest fans… All my love, Sakura…" he read on the back of the photo, and then looked at the front. It was a picture of Sakura, dressed in a similar kimono, and a younger Van Buren standing with her, "Your father took this photo…"

"That's the treasure?" Fuji twitched a smile of disbelief, "You… You're kidding…"

"Here," Van Buren handed it to Yukiko, "You have it, now."

"What?" Yukiko shot her head back in surprise, "Are you—"

"Yes. I'm very old… I cannot buy green bananas without wondering if I'll live to see them ripen. You saved me—I want you to have it," he handed her the photo, and smiled.

"Thanks," Yukiko nodded, "I'm sure… I'm sure she'd still remember you…"

"No matter—I'll see her soon," sighed Van Buren, "I shall see her soon…"

"Thanks," she looked away from him, and then from Toshiro, "Guys, I've gotta go…" She quickly ran past Van Buren, the Lupin gang, and the inspectors. Not even Max dared touch her at that moment.

Later, at the Hotel:

Heiji slammed the hotel door, and looked upward stormily at Toshiro.

"What's wrong?" inquired Toshiro.

"You creep—You ought to be in the one talking to her, not me!" growled Heiji as he pointed back at Yukiko's door, "You're never there for anyone who needs you! You were never there while dad was sick, you were never there to help mom with the kids while he was in the hospital! I had to play big brother, while I knew you were out there! And the whole reason she got in this mess is because you went off and talked to some floozy!"

"You're blowing it out of proportion," Toshiro responded.

"Don't talk to me," Heiji grumbled.

"Heiji, I—"

"Go to hell, Toshiro!" Heiji snapped as he growled Ally from the hall, and pulled him toward the elevator. Ally glared back at Toshiro, and kept his eyes on his enemy until he entered the elevator and disappeared down the dark corridor.

Toshiro sighed heavily, and took a few steps towards the door, but stopped as he heard a voice on the other side of the door.

"Daddy, I just don't know! Good God, I was such an idiot!" Yukiko said in her hotel room, apparently to her father, whom she was on the phone with, "I know… They're all mad at me, I know it! I just…. I just… It never happens to me, you know? Ryo, Fuji, even Dori! I thought someone finally liked me, for once! Oh, you have to go? I, I see… I know.. Okay, bye, Dad… Love you, too…"

"I didn't think she still cried…" mumbled Toshiro to himself as he opened the door. Yukiko quickly jumped up and pulled her fedora over her eyes.

"If you're here too yell at me, too, don't worry… Everyone else already has," said Yukiko.

"I—I'm not," Toshiro replied, "Do you want to talk about it?"

"What do you mean, about it? I'm over it! I'm fine!" Yukiko replied with a painfully obvious plastic smile, "That guy didn't mean anything, honestly!"

"You know I'm here, if you ever want to talk about anything," Toshiro said reassuringly as he reached over and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Hey, it's cool," Yukiko replied as she shrugged him off. Toshiro nodded, and turned to her before she exited.

"Hairstylist…" said Toshiro.

"Huh?" Yukiko lifted her head.

"That woman who spoke with me… She was a hairstylist… She told me I had split ends, and that she could fix them. That's why she gave me the paper—It was the address of her salon," said Toshiro quietly, "You didn't think it was something else, did you?"

"Nah, of course not!" Yukiko replied with a chuckle, "It's all right. Hey, I'll see you in the morning, 'kay? Get some rest!"

"Yes, you, too," Toshiro nodded, and exited the hotel room.

"A hairstylist…" Yukiko muttered in disbelief, "A freakin' hairstylist!" she laughed in idiocy.


	10. Devil Woman

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Lupin III franchise. So, there. Go away.

Hey, guys!

With summer coming, not really much to talk about. I hope everyday that they'll bring Lupin back to cartoon network. The prices for the DVDs are outrageous—I hope that maybe they'll bring it back someday soon. I know I'm not the only one who thinks this. Well, as always, enjoy reading this next segment, and, also as always, please, please review. See ya!

'But the fool on the hill,

Sees the sun going down,

And the eyes in his head,

See the world spinning 'round,'

--The Beatles, _'The Fool on the Hill'_

Chapter Ten

A Few Days Later: Devil Woman

A Tokyo, Japan, Bathhouse:

"Nothing like relaxing after nearly being nearly blown to bits…" Fuji sighed as she laid back in the hot tub, and smiled. She opened one eye, and watched as a rubber duck floated past her. She looked over, and Heiji shrugged innocently, and grabbed the rubber duck, and set it aside.

"Especially when it's in a familiar turf," Ryo added.

"Jeeze, Ryo, I didn't know you had full arms, with all of those bracelets you usually wear!" Heiji laughed.

"Hey, Yuki, it's about time!" said Fuji as she looked upward and watched Yukiko enter the room, wearing a white two-piece bathing suit and her fedora.

"Sorry," Yukiko shrugged as she seated herself next to Toshiro, who looked down at her with surprise.

"I guess I have to get that car now," he chuckled lightly.

Yukiko raised her eyebrows with surprise, and quickly went to speaking to Odori, "Dori, you look like a drowned cat!"

"Yeah, I thought fish liked water!" Heiji chuckled. Odori silently pulled Zantetsu from behind her, and swung it once, and therefore slashing his rubber duck in half. Heiji frowned, and looked at his slain duck, and after a few moments pause, Heiji slowly removed his glasses, and then lunged for Odori with surprising grace. Odori disappeared under the water, and Heiji soon followed. Both kept up this argument, until they heard a moan of horror which caused everyone to silence and look over in the direction of Ally, who had busied himself by reading an American newspaper.

"What's up with you? You look like someone stopped you from running over their puppy…" said Yukiko as she lifted up her fedora.

"A team from the Southern U.S. is competing the Stanely Cup finals!" Ally grumbled, "Jeeze… I don't believe it! They don't even _have _ice down there! I might as well take Odori's stupid sword and cut myself up like a fish now! I just feel like I was stabbed in the stomach!"

"Better than shot through the heart," Yukiko said to herself with a shudder.

"Excuse me, I have to go hunt something down, before I get even more depressed…" grumbled Ally as he rose out of the hot tub, threw a towel over his shoulders, and grabbed his pistol.

"Wow… He's very brave to walk out in the middle of rush hour in Tokyo carrying a gun and wearing nothing a blue Speedo," said Heiji after a pause.

"He's brave now, but he's going to be freezing when he remembers that there's a cold front…" said Odori plainly. A few moments later, Ally ran back in, and jumped into the hot tub, soaking everyone, and landing on a baffled Toshiro's lap. Ally grimaced, and moved off of Toshiro.

"Why didn't anyone tell me it was so cold out there!?" Ally shivered.

"Because you blew out of here like the spring breeze," replied Odori.

"Um, excuse me…" an attendant entered room through a thin paper sliding door, "Is there an Ishikawa, Odori present?"

"Yes," Odori nodded, and rose out of the hot tub, "Why?"

"This came for you," she passed her a letter, and Odori nodded her thanks to the attendant. Odori opened the letter slowly, and scanned over it once before grabbing Zantetsu and running out of the establishment.

"Odori!" Toshiro called, and rose out of the tub. He looked downward, and saw the letter on the ground. He bent down, and opened the letter, and scanned over it quickly, as well. It was written in Hiragana handwriting, and written in precise penmanship.

Dear Ms. Ishikawa,

I have been told of your superb fighting skills with the legendary Zantetsu, and I believe none of it. I find it hard that such a petite woman could handle such power. I dare you to prove it me. Meet me in the Kami Temple Courtyard this evening. See you there.

--Miyamoto Musashi XIV

"Musashi?" frowned Toshiro, "Where have I heard that?"

"Samurai Matinee Sundays," replied Heiji. All stopped, and looked back at him, "What? None have you have ever seen a Toshiro Mifune movie in your life?"

"I have. Toshiro Mifune is the reason I'm stuck with my name," replied Toshiro, crumpling the paper is his hand and growling.

"Well, don't worry—Don't let Dad know this, but 'Goemon' sounds like a new type of Pokemon, to me," said Heiji.

"How reassuring," Toshiro grumbled.

"Come on, guys," Fuji sighed as she rose out of the tub, "Guess I can't even get five seconds rest without having to save someone's ass around here… Heiji, I want more information on Miyamoto."

"_Usagi Yojimbo_," added Heiji.

"He's a bunny?" frowned Ryo.

Heiji sighed, "I'm such a nerd for knowing this, but… It's based around Miyamoto's life. He was a famous samurai, as well as an accomplished artist, from what I hear."

"He boil anyone alive in oil?" inquired Toshiro as everyone exited the room and walked towards the changing rooms.

"Not that I know," shrugged Heiji.

"Good. Well, that's out of the way," Toshiro replied as he exited into the changing room, followed by Ally and Heiji, and nearly Fuji, who had begun to veer to the men's changing room, but was stopped by Ryo.

"Aw, Ryo-san, you ruin all of my fun!" Fuji moaned.

"Calm it, girl, before I throw some cold water on you," Ryo replied as she led Fuji into the women's changing room, where they found Odori's belongings gone, and her locker open, "Well, someone was a little excited to get their ass beat…."

"Why do you think she'll lose?" inquired Yukiko.

"Because she's still a kid," replied Fuji, "She's our youngest member, remember."

"Yeah, but I don't think you think she'll lose because of that…. It's because it's Odori, and to her, there's no such thing as 'p1anning ahead'. There's only 'rush forward and kill'," added Yukiko.

"Well, let's go grab her, before she loses too much blood," sighed Ryo as she finished changing and loaded her gun. Yukiko lit a cigarette, which Ryo promptly removed and placed in her mouth, and the three exited the room.

The Kami Temple Gardens, a Short while Later:

"MIYAMOTO!" Odori yelled at the top of her lungs as she stepped foot beyond the Tori of the garden, and held onto her sword, "Come out, you chauvinist cur!" She drew out her sword, and looked around, for any sign of Miyamoto.

"HYAA!!" a figured burst out of the darkness, and lunged towards Odori, who quickly rolled away and landed kneeling on one kneel, Zantetsu drawn. The figured disappeared, but Odori heard him from behind, and spun around. The darkened figure ducked down, but lost his balance, and toppled over a stone bench, and into a koi pond.

"Oh, great…." He moaned as he spat out a trail of water and pulled himself out of the pond, "I suppose you really are as good as they say…"

"Damn right," Odori snapped, "Now what's going on!? Why did you bring me hear!?"

"I… I…" Odori looked downward, stunned, and the wannabe attacker bowed down before her humbly, "I want you to take me as your pupil!"

"What!?" Odori gulped, taking a step back in shock, "My…"

"Your pupil!?" she swerved around, and saw a stunned Toshiro, amongst the rest of the group.

"Tee-hee… Dori found a Flounder to go swim with," Heiji chuckled.

"Shut up!" growled Odori. She looked downward, "Miyamoto?"

"Yes?" he looked upward.

"Get up!" Odori snapped.

"Hai, Sensai!" he nodded, and rose from the ground.

"Sensai! Don't call me that!" growled Odori as she walked to the group, only to find Miyamoto walking behind her. She swerved around to face him, and growled, "Why are you following me like some sort of puppy!?"

"Please, I must become a great swordsman!" Musashi begged, "I'm like my ancestors, in the fact that I received their artist skills, but I lack in fighting ability!"

"He looks kind of like a bunny rabbit, though…" Heiji muttered to Toshiro. Toshiro smirked, and nodded quietly.

"I need to be a good swordsman, so I can win back the treasure of my family, and reclaim its honor! I am the only survivor of the Miyamoto clan. Please, help me, Sensai!" Musashi said to Odori.

"I… Just, please let go of my gi," Odori begged as she looked downward at Miyamoto.

"Ah, yes, of! But, will you help me?" inquired Musashi.

"I suppose…" sighed Odori.

"Domo arigato!" he said, bowing to an obviously embarrassed Odori.

"Hey, why did you go to her, anyway?" inquired Heiji.

"I were told you were an out of shape pale nerd—And that you were an annoying-sounding Broadway dancer," replied Musashi.

"Well, at least you didn't terribly hurt our feelings," muttered Heiji after a pause.

"Thank you very much, Sensai. Do you think we could start training soon?" asked Musashi.

"Certainly—AND DON'T CALL ME SENSAI!" Odori growled.

"Damn… She can get pretty evil-looking when she wants…" Yukiko frowned, lifting her hat from her eyes.

"And I thought Dad got bitchy when I tried to use Zantetsu to cut a watermelon…" muttered Heiji.

Later, the Ishikawa Residence:

"Papa, Odori's here! With a boy!" said one of the Ishikawa children as she peered out of the window at the edge of the property.

"What?" Goemon practically tripped over one of the smaller children in order to look out the window with his daughter, and looked in awe as he matched Musashi follow Odori, "Amaya, quickly!"

"What, what's wrong?" Amaya asked hurriedly, running out of the kitchen.

"Look," he held the curtain back for his wife, and watched as her jaw dropped.

"What if she's marrying him?" Amaya whispered, "Do you think she met him in America? What if he's a doctor, or a lawyer!? Well, it'd be good if he were a doctor…"

"He is dressed in a gi, so I can perhaps place his values," replied Goemon as he placed the curtain back and stood back. The door opened, and Odori stood in the doorway, seemingly confused by her mother's immediate embrace.

"I was only gone a few weeks, Mom!" Odori choked.

"And who is this?" inquired Amaya as she looked back at Musashi.

"My pupil…" replied Odori.

"Your…. Pupil?" Goemon frowned.

"Yes," Musashi nodded, "Your daughter is teaching me to be a great swordsman, much like you were, and she is!"

"Oh, so you think she's a great…. Swordswoman?" Amaya swallowed dryly.

"Yes," Musashi nodded in response. "And may I add that it is a great honor to meet the great Ishikawa Goemon. You and the Lupin gang were my idols when I was a child!"

"A child?" Goemon muttered under his breath, thinking over how this made him sound aged.

"Yes. I couldn't have been more than four when I first heard of you!" Musashi added in a laugh.

"Four…" Goemon shook his head, "I'm going to get a drink…"

"No alcohol!" Amaya called as Goemon exited into the kitchen, "It's bad for your heart!"

"Yes…" Goemon sighed.

"And don't forget your afternoon pills!"

"Un-hmm."

"And—"

Goemon stuck his head out of the kitchen doorway, and looked at Amaya tiredly, "Write me a list, and leave it somewhere where I might find it."

"Okay," Amaya nodded, and turned back to Odori and Musashi, "Now, may I get you both something to drink?"

"No," Odori replied before Musashi could think to speak, "We must train. We'll both be in the dojo."

"All right!" Amaya called, "Dinner will be at seven!"

"Won't need it!" Odori replied as she walked through a long hall, and slid the wooden panel to reveal a large wooden room, "Here we are…"

"Yes. Let's get started!" said Musashi excitedly, smiling and drawing his sword.

Four hours later, Miyamoto was barely breathing, and Odori was just warming up.

"Come on, what's wrong!?" Odori asked.

"You… You're quite the fighter…" he replied as he slid down onto the floor of the gym, "And a good hitter, too. Do you do anything else well? Have any other hobbies? Like model ship building?"

"I don't think that falls under the category of your business," replied Odori as she sheathed her sword and seated herself on the floor.

"Sorry," Musashi chuckled, "Anyway… Where are your friends now?"

"Probably goofing off," Odori grumbled, "All right—Break's over. Let's go for another four hours."

"Four!?"

"Yes, you're right… Let's go for five, this time."

"Five!?"

"You want six?"

"No, no…. Five will do."

A Hotel in Osaka:

"Ally, come here, will ya?" Ryo demanded as she sat seated at her dresser.

"Yeah, what?" Ally inquired, "Hey, what are you doin'!?" He yelped as his sister went to apply rouge to his face.

"There's no mirror here, and your skin tone's the same as mine. I want to see how it looks," replied Ryo.

"I don't trust this Miyamoto guy," said Yukiko from the couch where she laid reclined.

"I wouldn't trust anyone if I were in your position, either," admitted Heiji, who busied himself playing a video game, "Speaking of not trusting, anyone seen Fuji lately? She's sure taking a long time to get a hamburger."

Yukiko sat there a few moments silently before rising off of the couch and walking out of the room, "I'm getting a cigarette."

"I'll go talk to her," sighed Toshiro after a pause of silence from the group. He rose from the seat where he had been reading, and walked out of the room, and into the hallway, where Yukiko was smoking a cigarette. He leaned against the wall next to her, and smirked.

"Gonna share?" he inquired. Yukiko nodded, and handed him a cigarette, and lit it for him after he placed it in his mouth. After the first drag, Toshiro began to cough wildly, and he extinguished the cigarette, "It's been a while." He admitted in a chuckle.

"I wouldn't recommend it. It's a bad habit," replied Yukiko as she took another drag, "Hey, you remember when we were kids, and I took you driving?"

"How could I forget? It was possibly the most traumatic experience of my life—Next to seeing my father disguised as a woman several times over the years. Why do you ask?"

"I just… You want to go driving sometime? Just you and me on the road—We can take that stupid Vespa of yours! Drive through Europe, or something!"

"That sounds good, Yuki," Toshiro nodded, "Are you all right?"

"Yeah, I'm good."

"No, I mean, _are you all right_?" he implored.

Yukiko breathed in deeply, "Nah, but, what am I going to do?"

"If you ever want to talk, I'm still your friend. Remember that," Toshiro patted her on the shoulder, "I'm going to get some ice…" he called as he walked down the hall.

"'Kay. I'm goin' in!" shouted Yukiko in return.

"Sounds good!" Toshiro replied as he turned to the right, stopped, and banged his head against the wall tiredly, "How long am I going to be able to keep this up? She probably hasn't even thought of it before, but… No, no—I have a good friendship, and I need to keep it at that. A professional friendship!" he said firmly, "But is that really all I want in life?" he inquired as an afterthought.

Paris, France:

"Max, why are they clapping?" Leo mumbled as both walked down towards the chief's office to the sound of clapping officers.

"Maybe the Commissioner's got a loaded rifle on the other side of the door," Max replied blankly.

"Hey, the Commish ain't in today!" shouted an officer, "Got some good news for the both of you, though!"

"Yeah?" both perked up at the sound of this.

"While you were gone, we gave out our annual awards," said the officer.

"You don't say…" mumbled Leo.

"Here we go," Max rolled his eyes, and covered his face.

"Yep," the officer nodded, and passed the two a sheet of paper, "You made the office's Couple of the Year. Congrats, lovebirds."

"You smartasses!!!" growled Max.

"Wow, that's a nice font they used for the award. And they spelt my name right…" said Leo, "You see, they usually spell it—"

"I don't care!" Max grumbled, "Let's get the newest Lupin file!" he said, pulling Leo along by the jacket to the desk of a fellow employee, "We need the latest update on Lupin IV!"

"Still at large, thanks to the brilliant detective work of Mr. and Mrs. Zenigata," replied the officer blandly.

"Now, before I force your head through that water cooler!" demanded Max.

"Here," he sighed, passing the two a folder, "And I'll need your report…."

"Here you go," Leo replied, passing him a neatly typed report.

"Fancy staples," he muttered as he threw the file into a bin and went back to work, "Have fun in Japan, guys. Go visit the relatives…"

"My family lives in San Francisco!" Max replied.

"Doesn't surprise me," he said quietly.

"C'mon, Leo. We're out," said Max, leading LeBlanc back to the exit of the building.

The officer chuckled to himself, and reached for his bin of paperclips, only to find it gone, "Now, what the hell happened to that?"

"LeBlanc, are you rattling?" inquired Max.

"Ah, yeah. Got to through some trash away," Leo smirked, walking over to the desk of an employee and silently slipping a bin of paperclips onto her desk.

"Hey, you took my paperclips!" said the officer whom Leo had robbed to the female officer.

"What?" she looked upward, "I did no such thing!"

"Look, there they are! Right there!" he yelled, pointing to the paperclips.

"Well, I didn't do it…"

"Yeah, right…"

"Are you calling me a liar!?" she inquired, rising to face him.

"Maybe I am," he replied, crossing his arms, "What are you going to do about it?"

"This!" she answered throwing his paperclip bin across the room into a fish tank on another employee's desk. She looked up, and shot a death glare, and soon was in the argument, as well. After a short while, the entire office was embroiled in an argument, while Max watched, stunned, and Leo tried to fake a stunned expression.

"They had it coming…" grumbled Max.

"Yep, they sure did. Isn't fate weird?" Leo chuckled as he exited with Max, "Come on, I'll buy you coffee."

"Really?"

"Sure! Anything for my loving husband!" Leo replied.

"You little—C'mere!" Leo broke off into a run, followed by Max. As they ran to the car, Leo made sure to yell 'Spousal Abuse!' as he dodged Max. And during this, two old men playing a game of checkers at a market across the street shook their heads and wondered where Leo and Max's generation had gone awry.

Back in Tokyo:

"It's three A.M…. Time to quit…" said Odori as she sheathed her sword once more.

"Finally," Musashi puffed, "You're a demon with that sword!"

"I'm only a novice," replied Odori quietly.

"No, you're great! I've never seen anyone so good!"

"No, my father… He is—was—A master… Better than I could ever be…"

"Well, I'm sure if you work hard enough, you—"

"No. Not it my lifetime," answered Odori, "And, I—"

"Am I missing anything?" they heard, and turned to see Fuji in the window.

"Where did you come from!?" Musashi yelped.

"I was just checking in…" replied Fuji as she shrugged and jumped into the dojo, "You really beat his ass, neh, Dori?"

"It was all part of the plan," replied Odori, "Now what's the story, Fuji?"

"Well, I just heard about exactly what your family's treasure is, Miyamoto, and I want to help you out," said Fuji, going to shake Musashi's hand.

"For a cut," replied Musashi, "Sorry, no."

"Well, I was nice. If I can't help you, then I'll just take it," said Fuji with a shrug, "It'll just be me. Never mind the other guys. As far as they know, I'm getting a hamburger."

"Why are you doing this, Fuji?" inquired Odori.

"Dori-kun…. Walk with me, talk with me…" Fuji said, walking with Odori and putting an arm around her shoulders, "This is the Miyamoto family treasure. Heiji-chan found it on the Internet for me…."

"That's a lot of gold," said Odori in a wide-eyed whisper.

"I know. Hey, he won't need it all, anyway—He's the last one left in his clan! I know I sound like a complete bastard, but that's how I am, you know? Just like Daddy. It's better that we get a cut in it than get nothing at all!"

"But why not all of the others, too?" asked Odori.

"Because they've all been pissy lately… Ryo stole my last boyfriend, Ally's still sulking over that stupid hockey game, Yukiko's been depressed over that Spanish guy, Toshiro's been watching over Yukiko in case she decides to freakin' off herself and Heiji's obsessing over this new video game! You're all I've got!"

"Well, I… All right. But only if Miyamoto agrees to it," replied Odori.

"Well," Fuji brushed her hair aside, "I guess it's time to turn on the ole' feminine charm, then!"

"Not in my parents' house, with six minors! And if my father sees you, he'll have a—"

"Heart attack?" Fuji finished. Odori grumbled, and gripped onto her sword.

"Fine," Odori sighed, "Now go home, all right!?"

"Yeah. Have fun with your boy, now, 'kay? I'm goin' home!" chuckled Fuji as she exited the dojo through the window once more, "Have a little fun for me, Odori! And don't be too hard on him!"

"Don't worry! I'll know to give it a rest when he begins to sweat blood!" Odori shouted in return, leaving Miyamoto obviously nervous.


	11. Stairway to Heaven

DISCLAIMER: I am not responsible for any squirrel massacres due to some of the content in this fanfic. Love your squirrels like you love all creatures, everyone. Personally, I love all of my creatures with gravy…. And, by the way, I don't own Lupin III.

Hello? This thing on?

Hee hee… Hope you didn't think I was dead. Sorry it's been so long since my last update, but I went on this week-long thing out of town, nowhere remotely near a computer. That's summer for you, I guess. Well, I hope you all enjoy the chapter, and please take the time to review.

Chapter Eleven

Three Days Later: Stairway to Heaven

__

'I'm filling the cracks that ran through the door,

and kept my mind from wandering,

where it will go,'

--The Beatles, _'Fixing a Hole'_

Osaka, Japan:

"I give up!" Odori growled, throwing her sword aside, "It's official—You're an idiot! Congratulations!"

"What?" Musashi frowned.

"Four days, and you're still as bumbling as ever, if not more!" Odori replied angrily, "You have no sense of balance, no sense of coordination—You're about as good at swordfighting as a badger!"

"Please—Give me one more chance," asked Musashi.

"You said that yesterday, when you nearly beheaded me! That would've been an improvement, if it hadn't been for the fact that I was nearly beheaded with a TEAPOT!" Odori screamed, and stormed out of the dojo, nearly running over her father in the process. Goemon had come when some of the windows from a different room began to rattle, due to Odori's shouting.

"Odori!" Goemon called to her. Odori stopped, and turned, and watched as her father approached her, "What's the matter?"

"Papa, he's… I've never met anyone as clumsy as him in my life! And that's saying a lot, considering I was friends with Ari for so long…" replied Odori, "I'm sorry I cannot have your great patience, Papa. I suppose I have a lot to learn, still."

"Give him two swords," said Goemon after a pause of thought.

"What?" Odori tilted her head to a side, "Why?"

"Trust me," Goemon responded, "Give him two swords to work with, and he will improve."

"Are you certain?"

"Very," Goemon nodded, "I might not like the two sword technique very much, I think it will help Musashi a great deal."

"Yes, Father," nodded Odori, "I'll grab an old set of Toshiro's."

"Good," Goemon smirked, and continued to walk down the hall, "Good things come with patience. Remember that, Odori."

"Yes," Odori replied, and waited until her father had left to fetch a set of Toshiro's old swords, "Musashi!" she called as she walked back into the dojo. The crestfallen samurai looked upward at her, and she smiled warmly, for a change, "Here, use these." She said, handing him the two swords.

Musashi took the swords, and rose, "Ready?" Odori smiled wickedly, and Musashi nodded.

There was immediate improvement in his sword technique, Odori noticed. By the end of the day, he had pinned her to the ground twice with his blades. His sudden improvement was a shock to Odori, as well as Fuji, whom had decided to drop in the evening, as she had for the past few evenings.

Odori approached her father in the evening, when she and Musashi had finished their training for the day. Goemon was in the living room of the house, reading an ancient scroll that had belonged to the Ishikawas for centuries, "Father, I have a question…"

"How did I know about the two swords?" asked Goemon.

"Yes!" Odori replied eagerly, seating herself across from him, "How did you know!?"

"The original Musashi used the same technique. He mastered it, as a matter of fact," replied Goemon, closing his eyes in thought, "Always know where your pupil comes from, Odori. You must learn to cultivate the gifts that they have, and play upon them. Only then shall they improve the quickest."

"Yes," Odori nodded, "Thank you, again. Hopefully I can be more patient with my next student—If I ever get one."

"I think you will," replied Goemon with a smirk.

Odori rose from the floor, and walked back out to the dojo, where Musashi sat drinking tea with Fuji. Odori stopped, and looked at the two in dismay. Fuji was laughing at one of his jokes, as was Musashi. She seated herself at the head of the small table, and silently poured herself a cup of tea.

"So, how many do you go up against, anyway, Musashi?" inquired Fuji.

"One thousand warriors," replied Musashi calmly. Both Odori and Fuji spat out their drinks, and looked up at one another tiredly.

"I think we'll need reinforcements…" said Fuji, looking down into her teacup.

Back at the Hotel:

"Okay… So, we hear nothing from you two in half a week, and all of a sudden, you need our help?" Ryo inquired suspiciously.

"Come on, Ryo-san! I was just a little upset with you all, but I eventually cut you in on the deal!" said Fuji with a wide smile.

"I don't know… Sounds fishy…." said Heiji with thought.

"Heiji-chan, would I ever do anything to get you hurt? Get any of you hurt?" asked Fuji hopefully.

"YES!!" all shouted in return, causing Fuji to shrink back a little.

"But, that's what we're about, right?" Ryo added after a pause, "I'll go, Fuji."

"A thousand warriors… Sounds like fun," Yukiko said, raising her fedora over her eyes with her magnum, "Where are they, anyway?"

"On top of Osaka's tallest mountain," replied Musashi, who had tagged along with Fuji and Odori.

"Hiking?" yelped Heiji, "My delicate nerd body wasn't built for hiking!"

"I'll get my boots…" Ally sighed, "Oh, and my deer hunting rifle! Because, you never know…"

"Ally, even after knowing you since before you were born, I am still scared as hell of you," replied Fuji with a confident nod.

"Good to know I'm consistent," replied Ally with a wide Cheshire grin. He turned, and began to whistle quietly to himself as he searched through his suitcase, finally deciding on his long-range hunting rifle.

"I know it's a lot, but, I'm sure that we can defeat them, and recover my treasure," said Musashi confidently. "I will give you all a cut, I promise."

"I would certainly hope so. I've been eyeing spending some time in Texas. There's a long range shooting competition there," replied Ryo, "Five-hundred-thousand big ones."

"I'll be your sponsor if you want!" added Fuji quickly.

"Sorry—Lone wolf mission," replied Ryo, "Besides, I don't want to be responsible for a child while I'm there. I want fun, for a change. Not getting my ass shot at, or almost getting married off to some Arabian oil tycoon!"

"Hey, I came in time!" replied Fuji with a smile.

"I had long hair before that incident," Ryo reminded Fuji, "Somewhere just happened to accidentally get it caught in a gate because they pushed me a little too quickly…"

"You look good with short hair!" replied Fuji.

"Ladies, ladies, can we settle this later?" asked Ally.

"No!" both answered.

"Cat fight—Meow!" Heiji muttered to himself.

"Let's go, guys. You two can duke it out in the car. I'm going with Toshiro in the Vespa. Won't be enough room with Miyamoto riding along," said Yukiko.

"I thought you'd rather ride the New York transit system than ride my Vespa," said Toshiro with a smirk.

"Yeah, well at least I won't be riding it in a dress, this time," replied Yukiko with a roll of the eyes.

"Let's go, guys!" said Fuji, standing and snapping her fingers. The others followed her out, and they went into the parking garage, where they retrieved their vehicles, and then headed out for the said mountain.

About halfway along the journey, they came across a bit of an inconvenience—About half of Tokyo's police force, and a great deal of barricades, thanks to Max and Leo, who stood amongst the officers.

"See, there she is!" said Max, pointing towards the Alfa Romeo.

"We'll try to stun them, first," said the sniper on top of a police control car as he peered into his seeker.

"And what if that doesn't work?" inquired Leo.

"Then we go for real bullets," he replied calmly.

"WHAT!?" both yelped in unison.

"Hey, they're creeps. I usually try not to feel anything towards the people I try to take in, but, I tell you now…" he leaned inward, and whispered to both, "If I could put real bullets in this thing now, and get away with it, I would…" He said to a horrified duo of officers.

"Very well, then," Max nodded to the sniper, "Do what you need to."

"What? Max, come over here," Leo led Max to a secluded area, and began to speak to him there, "You can't just let them kill them! They're people, too!"

"I know, I know. But what has to be done, must be done," Max said as he eyed an officer walking past them. He immediately bent down and whispered to Leo after the officer had passed, "I don't want them dead, either. How am I supposed to have a corpse seek trail, eh?"

"Well then what are we going to do!?" inquired Leo frantically as he stared at the ever-approaching vehicles.

"I don't know, Leo…" Max admitted. He knew if he said anything, everyone would realize that he was actually related to members of the Lupin clan. And Leo knew that he too would have suspicion fall under him if he were to order a still-fire.

Asked Max suddenly, "Leo, can you do me a favor? Can you do impersonations?"

"Sure, who would you like?" asked Leo.

"The Commissioner," Max replied, "I've got a plan, LeBlanc."

"Great," Leo nodded.

After explaining his plan, Leo leapt into a tree, and there was a call on Max's cellphone. The screen was cracked on the phone, making it impossible to see where the call came from, "Uh, Lieutenant, there's a call for you…" said Max, passing the lieutenant of the policemen his cell.

"Hello?" inquired the lieutenant.

"Hello!" replied the commissioner, "I want Lupin taken alive! New orders just came!"

"But, Sir, I—"

"Just do it, dammit!" replied the commissioner.

"Yes, Sir!" replied the Lieutenant, who soon after hung up and handed Max his cell back, "All right, men, we're taking them alive!"

"What!?" all groaned.

"Just do it!" the lieutenant growled in response.

Meanwhile, Fuji and co. were still breezing down the winding roads, not even having a clue as to what had just happened.

"Ah, the policy-men…" said Ally with a smile as he caught sight of the policemen, "Want me to shoot?"

"Nah, that's okay," replied Fuji, "Just keep driving, Ryo."

"What!?" Ryo yelped.

"Do it! You, too, Toshiro!" ordered Fuji.

"You got it!" Toshiro replied, speeding up the bike and swerving in front of Ryo, "Yuki, hold on!"

"Why? Hold on? Why do I need to hold on, Toshiro!?" asked Yukiko.

"Because you aren't going to like this very much!" he answered as he sped up, causing several officers to jump out of the way. The next thing Yukiko knew, they were driving over one of the police cruisers, all while she screamed. They landed roughly, but without missing a beat. Yukiko caught her hat, which nearly blew away at the high speed.

"You ever think about giving the hat a break and updating your look, Yukiko?" inquired Toshiro.

"Hey, at least I don't look like I'm in a dress," replied Yukiko as they continued towards the mountain, several officers in pursuit.

They did not have time to fill the hole in the blockade when Ryo drove through the wooden horses, leaving wood shards in their midst. Ally managed to grab one of the boards, and taunted the officers with it as they climbed into their cars and began to chase after the group, who was chasing another group of officers, who were chasing Yukiko and Toshiro.

"This is a new one," Ryo muttered as she looked ahead at the officers in front of her.

One of the officers threw out a net in a gun, but Zantetsu quickly tore this to shreds with only a few swift swipes.

"What do you say we get rid of our problem?" Fuji asked with a smirk as she looked down at the control panel, "Ally, that thing your sister installed is working?"

"Give it a shot!" replied Ally as he dodged a sedative shot by one of the officers.

"This is so cartoony," grumbled Ryo as she pressed a button on the control panel of the vehicle, causing slick oil to spill behind it. Many officers lost their traction, and careened into ditches or rammed into trees. Only one driver had managed to make it through the oil, one who was used to the tricks of the Lupin clan.

"How'd you learn to drive like that!?" Max asked Leo in awe, "And in stick shift, too!"

"Racing was one of my favorite things to do when I was a kid," replied Leo, who looked like a completely different person as he drove towards the Lupin gang.

"Woah!" Ryo quickly swerved out of the way as a police cruiser in front of her swerved off the road. She looked ahead, and realized what was going on.

Yukiko fired another shot, causing another tire to blow out. Another police vehicle lost control, and was no longer their problems. She heard more shots behind her, and saw Ally, doing something similar with the back tires.

"These poor four-wheel-drive bastards," tisked Yukiko with a shake of her head, "Should have gotten just front wheel drive!" she laughed as she fired another shot, busting out another officer's tire. Soon, the only problem was Leo and Max, the remaining officers.

"Hey, Ryo, maybe if you flash him, we can save the bullets!" Fuji chuckled as she looked back at Leo.

"You think that'll work?" asked Ryo in complete seriousness.

"You are doing no such thing! You're a lady, not some sort of common whore!" replied Ally vibrantly, "If you want the jerk out of your way, then shoot at him!" Ally took shot, only to have Leo swerve out of the way, "That little…" Ally grumbled, and reloaded, "Fuji, he's dodging my bullets!"

"That's my brother… Clever, yet annoying," mumbled Fuji.

"Like your dad," Heiji responded.

"Shut up," Fuji replied quickly.

"Well, I'm sorry, but he laughs like a freakin' weasel," replied Heiji.

"That's still my Daddy," answered Fuji, "And if it weren't for him being so damned depressed about Ari running away, then I'd probably be on a beach somewhere, screwing an old guy out of millions by promising to marry him, and I wouldn't have to use my brain so much."

"Just like your mom?" Heiji retorted.

"Yep," Fuji nodded, "Now, how are we going to take care of our problem, guys?"

"I'm thinking plan Q," said Ryo after a pause.

"What!? Are you nuts!?" Ally yelped.

"What's plan Q?" inquired Musashi to Odori.

"Watch," Odori replied as she unsheathed Zantetsu. Ryo brought the car down to a slower pace, allowing Max and Leo to drive beside them on the road.

"You're under arrest!" shouted Max.

"Yeah!? Well, you're kinda cute!" Fuji laughed in response, followed by the sticking out of her tongue. Max growled, and pulled out his handcuffs, and swung them at Fuji. She looked down at her wrist, apparently impressed, to see the handcuff dangling off of her thin wrist, "Nice job…" she muttered, "I wonder if you're just as good at fixing tires!"

"At what!?" Max frowned. Fuji pointed back, and Max looked in horror to see one of the back tires of the patrol car fall back, while the other three remained. Odori was on the side of the Alfa Romeo, gripping onto the car door with one hand and holding onto Zantetsu with the other. Her feet rested on a metal sled precariously.

"How'd she do that!?" Max inquired in awe as he looked down at the samurai. Odori shifted her weight to the right, where Max and Leo's car was, and jumped into the car, while the circular metal sled hit Max straight-on in the face.

Leo screeched to a halt, and leaned over his seat to check on Max while the Lupin gang sped off towards the mountain, Fuji laughing at their pursuers plight.

"I like the touch, Odori. I didn't think to slap him in the face with a sled," admitted Fuji.

"I was taken by the moment," replied Odori quietly.

"Sensai, you were terrific!" spat out Musashi excitedly, "That was quite daring! You could have been killed!"

"Daring?" Odori reiterated with interest.

"Ah, isn't this cute! Give me a second to find my digital camera, and I'll send Mom and Dad a copy of this!" said Heiji mockingly.

"I can't wait until the zoo calls wanting you back," grumbled Odori.

"Okay, okay, guys. Let's save the girl-fights for another time," sighed Fuji, "Really; behave like you're civilized for once in your life! It seems like you embarrass me every time we meet a new villain!"

"Villain? Aren't we the villains?" inquired Ryo.

"Hey, catch up, guys!" Yukiko shouted back to the group, who was admittedly dragging behind the Vespa and its two riders.

"Coming, coming! She's the ultimate backseat driver," mumbled Ryo as she pressed on the gas.

Later:

"Well, here we are. A large, cold piece of rock with all sorts of creepy and deadly things sticking out of every crevice…" muttered Fuji as she and the others stared upward at the large mountain.

"Woo hoo! All right!" chirped Ally as he jumped onto the beginnings of the mountain and began to climb.

"Or, as Ally likes to call it, 'Better than Disney'…" added Fuji as she, too began to make the climb, "And the first jerk I catch looking up my skirt is going to pay in stitches!" she added in an angry drawl.

"Hey, Fujicakes, I have a better idea," whispered Ryo to Fuji as she stopped and rested her elbow on a small ledge. Fuji turned to Ryo, and stopped.

"What?" asked Fuji.

"Why don't we take those stairs carved in the side of the mountain? Just a thought…" replied Ryo as she pointed to a series of prominently placed ledges winding around the mountain.

"I… I knew that! I was just seeing how long it took you to realize they were there!" Fuji stuttered in response.

"Uh-huh…" Ryo raised an eyebrow in skepticism, and walked over to the stairs, where most of the group was already, including a very disappointed Ally.

"Ally, I promise we'll still let you get first shot," said Fuji reassuringly as she read the look of disappointment on Ally's face.

"I'm not sure if I can do this…" Musashi admitted worriedly. "I know I've improved, Sensai, but I just didn't seem to inherit my family's terrific fighting skills! One thousand warriors!? I'm beginning to worry about this…"

"Genes have nothing to do with it, so don't even try to play that card with me!" Odori growled, "My parents were farmers in Korea! You say I am just as good as my father, yet I have none of his blood in me!" she hissed angrily, "Now, Miyamoto, we are going to face these demons, even if I have to drag you into battle like a woman!"

"You're adopted?" Musashi choked. Odori nodded silently, and Musashi returned the nod, and then in a surprise gesture, embraced her heartily.

"Oh, don't tell me he isn't doing that just to be friendly…" mumbled Heiji to Toshiro.

"Thank you for your speech of inspiration, Sensai!" said Musashi happily, "Now, since I know, I will go into battle cheerily!"

"Yes… Just don't crack my spine anymore than you have!" Odori heaved. The samurai's face had slightly blued from the lack of oxygen, and then reddened as she looked onward at the amused Toshiro and Heiji.

"Okay, can we quit the love-fest before we start making daisy chains and painting one another's faces?" inquired Fuji as she began to climb up the stone stairway to the top of the mountain, which was reached in another two hours after numerous trials and tribulations, including an eight-foot bear, which caught all by surprise.

"I'm guessing by the ominous gates we're here," said Fuji as she stood at the front gates with her hands on her hips. They were large Asian-style gates, made of what looked to be extremely thick wood oak doors and a cement Torii, painted a dull red. It only added to the darkness of the atmosphere—The sky had clouded over with black clouds, and the wind was beginning to pick up. Some of the group members were feeling slightly light-headed due to the thinner oxygen of the mountain, but not enough to effect them. They had traveled over mountainous areas all of their lives.

"Now what?" inquired Ally.

"We use our two human can openers," replied Fuji, looking back at a poised Odori and Toshiro.

Toshiro was the first to try and slice through the door, but only ended up with two nearly-broken wrists. He stood their a few moments, stunned with a look of surprised pain upon his face, before he dropped the swords.

"What happened?" frowned Fuji, "Toshiro? Are you okay? Hello?"

"Behind that rock… Yuki, come on…" Toshiro whispered. A confused Yukiko followed Toshiro behind a large boulder, and she exited from the hiding of the boulder moments later.

"What's wrong with him?" asked Ryo.

"He broke his right hand, and he didn't want anyone to see him cry like a woman. He can't take pain well, it seems," replied Yukiko, "Thank God he's a leftie… Anyway, anyone got anything I can use to hold a splint together? I found two small boards I can use, but I have nothing to hold it with."

"Here," Odori reached up, and took the thick strip of cloth which held her hair up and handed it to Yukiko. She then took a rubber band which she hid in her gi, and put up her waist-length black hair with this.

"Thanks," Yukiko nodded, and walked back behind the boulder. Toshiro was seated on the ground, and looked up at Yukiko as she approached, and then looked downward at his hand. Yukiko smirked, and kneeled down in front of him, "Dori gave me this… This might hurt when I set it, but we'll get you a doctor when we get back down…."

"I'll be all right," replied Toshiro as Yukiko set his hand into place. He winced as she moved the broken bones around, and Yukiko immediately noticed. She pulled out a metal flask, and stuck it in his mouth after she uncorked it. He spat, and pulled it out of his mouth, and Toshiro looked down at the bottle, "What is this?"

"Whiskey," replied Yukiko, "Warms you up in the winter, keeps you cool in the summer."

"Hey, let's go on the road after this," suggested Toshiro.

"Yep, you're drunk," she smiled, and put the flask of whiskey back in her pocket.

"You look very pretty this evening…" mumbled Toshiro, who was feeling a tad drunk at that point.

"Okay, it's getting awkward now. Let's get going…" said Yukiko as she turned to walk out to the others, "Come on, Toshiro…."

Toshiro nodded, rose uneasily, and followed her out to the others, who were still trying to figure out how to enter the through fortress-like doors.

"Do you think we could blow it up?" mumbled Fuji as she tested the door a few times by kicking it lightly with the tip of her high-heeled shoe.

"I could go get the dynamite," added Ryo.

"LUPIN!" shouted Max Zenigata as he ran up the side of the mountain to the others, the long-legged Leo LeBlanc panting behind him, trying to keep up in vain, "You're under arrest!" shouted Max.

"Uh-oh…" mumbled Fuji, "Let's jump it…" She turned to leave, and much to her surprise, the doors slowly creaked open. After their eyes had adjusted to the darkness within, all saw, much to their horror, hundreds of dark eyes staring back at them with an apparent intent to kill.

"Um… I think that Lupin's suddenly become the least of our problems, Max," muttered Leo with a dry gulp.

"All right, who's ready to come on and play? I sure as hell am," smirked Yukiko as she spun the chamber of her gun.

"Same here," added Odori as she fixed herself into a fighting stance and stared forward at the ninjas.


	12. On the Run

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Lupin III… But it's a nice dream to have…

Aloha!

Can't really think of anything witty to put in here right now… Summer has officially fried my brain. But, luckily, it gives me more than enough time to do what I love to do—Write. As always, please read and review. I love to hear input on what I'm doing and not doing right, and what I could be doing better. Well, see you all around! Bye for now!

Chapter Twelve

A Few Moments Later: On the Run

__

'Hey,

You've got to hide your love away,

Hey,

You've got to hide your love away,'

--The Beatles, _'You've got to hide your Love Away'_

Odori was the first to go into battle, facing one of the ninjas head-on. The others soon followed, leaving the ninjas too distracted to notice the absence of Fuji and Heiji. Even Max and Leo faced the opponents, completely missing the most important group member. Max was surprisingly good at martial arts, and Leo proved worthy with his gun, a suspicious looking Walther P-38. He made sure to shoot to injure or scare off the ninjas, but not to kill them. He would never kill, he swore.

Fuji and Heiji, meanwhile, busied themselves getting passed the guardsmen, and to the treasure, "Let's see…. Where would I be if I were a valuable treasure?" muttered Fuji in thought.

"Easy! In the pockets of Lupin the Fourth!" Heiji laughed in response.

"Flattery will get you nowhere, my accomplice. We have to find out where it is, before tall, dark, and creepy finds us and slices us into ribbons," replied Fuji as she climbed up a ledge and faced another door, smaller and carved out of a different sort of wood, which they soon discovered to be not wood, but stone.

"May I?" inquired Heiji.

"You may," Fuji nodded, and hid herself behind a large boulder for protection. Heiji went to work removing a small box from a shirt pocket, and set off the clock on the box. He quickly stuck it to the door with adhesive, and ran towards where Fuji laid and wait. Both covered their ears, and waited for the muffled sound of the blast, which came only moments later. It shook the entire side of the mountain, and caused everyone to stop, and look upward at the door. One ninja shouted to another in a muffled voice, and a gaggle of the black-masked warriors then began their pursuit of the duo of thieves.

"Jackpot!" Fuji squealed happily as she looked inward at the wooden chests, one halfway opened with gold coins spilling out of it, "Oh, I'm the happiest little thief in the world!"

"You'll be the deadest little thief in the world in about ten seconds," Heiji gulped as he backed himself up against a rock and nervously looked forward at the approaching ninja army. He was shocked to see a figure fall down over a crowd of ninjas, wiping out every one of them in only a few swift blows. At first, the two thought this to be Toshiro, but they soon discovered it was none other than Musashi.

"This isn't it!" Musashi muttered as he peered into the cave nervously, "This isn't all of it…"

"What?" frowned Fuji and Heiji.

"There's something more!" replied Musashi. He stopped, and gasped as he laid his eyes on a higher door, with an inscription in Japanese carved into it, "There! It's there!"

"And how do you plan we get up there?" asked Heiji.

"Heiji-chan! You forget!" Fuji smiled, and revealed a grappling hook from her jacket pocket. Heiji smirked, nodded, and watched as Fuji shot the grappling hook, and began to scale the wall.

"The fact she can do that in heels is astounding…" muttered Heiji to Musashi.

"You like her, don't you?" inquired Musashi after a pause.

"What!?" Heiji yelped, "She's my coworker! My boss, more appropriately!"

"It's just the way you said it…" Musashi smirked, and looked upward at Fuji.

"She goes for charming, nice-looking guys… Not pasty little bookworms…" said Heiji to himself as he looked upward at Fuji, who had gone to hitting against the wooden door in order to open it. She smashed it open after a few strong hits, and stepped into the well-lit room.

"Hey, Musashi, about that treasure…" Fuji called, "is this it!?" she jumped onto the rope, now with a young in a kimono woman in tow.

"Yes! That's my Kimiko!" replied Musashi cheerily.

"You have a girlfriend?" Heiji choked.

"She is my fiancée," replied Musashi, "We are to marry, to join two clans together. She is truly a great treasure."

"You're Lupin!" gaped Kimiko as she looked at Fuji.

"You're in trouble!" replied Fuji as she scaled down the side of wall with Kimiko. An arrow shot, and the rope snapped in half. Heiji quickly caught Fuji, and Musashi caught Kimiko.

"You must've played softball, Heiji, if you can make a save like that!" Fuji chuckled as she wriggled out of his grasp and stood on the floor, and faced her opponents, who were reasonably less in size, due to the cutting, kicking and shooting of the Lupin group and the inspectors. Leo went to cuff Ryo, but she turned, and glared at him.

"I know you won't kill me, so don't make me do something I'll regret, Ari," whispered Ryo.

"You—You'd never kill me, either," replied Leo, avoiding eye contact with the young dark-haired woman, "But I'm still taking you in!" he added with an increase of bravado.

"Let's do this later. I'll buy you dinner, you take me in, and I'll escape," said Ryo as she fired once more.

"I don't think so," replied Leo as he reached for her other hand.

"Just like old times, ne, Arsene?" Ryo chuckled.

"Sh-shut up," Leo sputtered. He suddenly felt a kick from behind him, and he fell to the ground. Ally stepped over the fallen figure, and quickly picked the lock of handcuff and led his sister out of the fighting. But Ryo protested, and went back to shooting, much to her brother's dismay.

"Hey, I think we've got 'em all!" laughed Ally triumphantly.

"You pointy-nosed creep!" Ally heard in a growl, and fell to the ground. Ally looked back, and saw a very angry Max glaring back down at him.

"You picked the wrong guy to piss off, buddy!" hissed Ally as he tackled Max. The two rolled into a crowd of ninjas, knocking the unsuspecting warriors against one another and against the mountain walls. Leo awoke to find Ally, his former best friend, and Max, his new friend, going at it like two middle-aged women in the middle of a Christmas sale at a department store.

"If this weren't so dangerous I'd be moved…." muttered Leo, lapsing into a Lupin-like perceptive, "Hey, knock it off! I'm fine!" Leo shouted, and rose. A ninja came from behind him, and Leo grabbed the fighter by the arm, and swung him over his shoulder, as his Uncle Goemon had taught him many years before.

"Leo! Wow!" Max gasped as he held the reasonably shorter Ally down on the ground by the head. Ally pulled Max down on the ground by the tie, and the two continued their bout.

"Who else?" Leo mumbled as he looked around at the ninjas. Another went to hit Leo with a metal rod, but Le Blanc quickly ducked this, and knocked the ninja down.

"And I thought he was an idiot!" Max cheered as he ducked a blow from Ally.

"He's only as smart as you!" growled Ally, "Which ain't too smart!"

Yukiko looked upward from a boulder she stood atop of, and saw a ninja approach the fighting inspector and thief. She bent down on one knee, and tilted her hat so only one eye could retain visibility. With the other eye, she focused, and shot. The warrior fell back, and Ally and Max looked upward, stunned.

"Watch out!" called Ally. Yukiko turned, and nearly met with the eyes of another attacker. Luckily, two swords and a samurai came to her rescue, in the form of Toshiro.

"Thanks, Buddy!" said Yukiko in a shout over the fighting.

"No problem," Toshiro replied, and jumped down off of the boulder and into the ever-thinning mass.

Soon, only one warrior, which they had not seen before. Max could still not see him, because Ally had smashed his glasses in half. Max had returned this with an extremely good shot to the stomach. Both now stood shakily, and watched as the larger ninja paced about, staring at the group with yellow eyes. He was taller than even Toshiro, who stood over six feet.

Much of the group was worn from the fight, but no one refused to show it. They all stared forward at the ninja, waiting his attack. He went straight toward Musashi and Kimiko, but he only made it halfway. The tall ninja looked down at the seemingly petite Odori, who wielded Zantetsu much like her father had.

"Come and get it…" whispered Odori under her breath as she glared at her opponent. Both struck at equal times, and for a few tense moments, the Lupin family wondered who had taken the obvious blow. They had heard someone hit, but they did not know which it was. It soon became apparent that it had been the ninja that had been injured, and who toppled over onto the ground, dead.

"All right, Dori!" crowed Fuji, who had taken the advantage of looking into the treasure and now wore a string of beads from one of the many boxes.

Odori smirked, and sheathed her sword, and turned to face Musashi, "Musashi-chan, how did you—" she stopped in mid-sentence as she realized Musashi was preoccupied with his fiancée, "Oh… Who might this be?" she inquired quietly.

"My soon-to-be-wife, Kimiko!" replied Musashi.

Toshiro watched Odori's face suspiciously, and noted what appeared to be a feigned smile, but upon further inspection proved to be a pang of pain of some sort. It was a pang he himself had felt with everyone new boyfriend Julia had brought home, previous to him.

"It's nice to meet you," said Odori, bowing slightly to Kimiko, "Miyamoto is very kind…. But I beg you not to let him around any kitchen appliances…."

"Oh, no! Don't worry about that—I cook!" replied Kimiko with a laugh.

"Can you make tacos?" called Heiji. Fuji quickly responded to this with a slap on his shoulder, and Heiji chuckled bashfully, "Sorry… This near-dying crap just always leaves me hungry!"

"We must face a lot of near-death situations, then, as much as you eat…" said Odori with a self-satisfying smirk. Bickering with Heiji always took her mind off of her problems.

"Well, if you can find me a recipe, and a kitchen…" said Kimiko with a weak smirk.

"The next meal they're having is behind bars!" said Max triumphantly, and handcuffed the next closest person to himself.

"Uh… Max?" Max heard, and looked to his left, to the handcuffed being, "How did you get a license to carry a gun?"

"Did I just handcuff you?" Max inquired, looking over at the blurry Leo-like figure.

"Here, it's no problem," Leo sighed, and Max heard a sickening pop as LeBlanc dislocated his wrist and slid out of the handcuff, "Now, how in the hell did you get a gun?"

"How in the hell did you get this job?" Max retorted quickly. Leo shrugged, and both turned back towards Fuji and company, "All right, now, time to get down to business…"

"Hey, you want some more?" Ally inquired, taking a fighting stance against Max.

"They're going to need a muzzle for you…" muttered Max as he ran directly towards Fuji and handcuffed her. Fuji did not even put up a fight, but rather smiled in amusement.

"I like them, but they clash with my earrings," said Fuij as she looked downward at the handcuffs.

"Quiet. It's time to go," grumbled an obviously tired Max, "I hope jumpsuit orange will be a better match, Lupin."

"Nah, something tells me it won't quite match… I'm more of a spring color," she answered, followed by a trip upon a large rock. Max bent down to help her, as did Leo, and when both rose, they were handcuffed to one another once more. Leo smirked, and tried to escape the handcuffs, as he had done before, but found to his surprise they did not budge.

"Sorry, Boys. These are special. Forged by a swordmaker with a lot of time on his hands…" chuckled Fuji.

"I.e., Dad ran out of crosswords and needed something to get out of the house," sighed Heiji.

"Good luck getting out of those. Let's get going, fellas!" called Fuji. The group began to run, and Max broke into a run after them, but was tripped up by Leo, who was unprepared and tumbled over Max's feet onto the ground.

"Dammit," Max hissed, "Crap, crap, crap!" he added in a frustrated yell.

"You're so much like you're dad you hurt," grumbled Leo, placing a hand over his head and sighed heavily as he watched the Lupin gang run off into the distance.

Later, the Miyamoto Residence:

"Where's Odori?" Toshiro inquired as he looked around the candle-lit room, where the sake had begun to make its rounds, and Heiji and Ally had taken to singing an old Japanese folk song, while a red-faced Yukiko laid out on the couch, and Ryo tried to restrain a drunken Fuji from doing anything stupid due to alcohol. Musashi was perhaps the most sober, and his future wife looked onward, amused at the crowd.

"She said she needed some time to reflect," replied Musashi.

"Ah," Toshiro nodded, and walked out through sliding doors into the Miyamotos' back yard. Odori was seated on a flat stone near a lake, thinking deeply to herself.

"I hear you, Toshiro," said Odori as her older brother approached her, "What do you want?"

"How are you?" inquired Toshiro as he seated himself next to Odori.

"Fine. A little tired, but fine," replied Odori, "I had no idea he had a…"

"Things don't always work out how we expect," answered Toshiro, "You should be happy, though. Miyamoto gave us quite a share of the treasure, and, I don't know about you, but my vehicle needs some body work done after that drive I took…"

"You could always pay for speech therapy," Odori retorted, opening one eye and looking towards him cynically, "Does everyone speak in New York like you do?"

"Brooklyn, at least," Toshiro answered, "Why don't you come in, and get something to drink?"

"I don't take alcohol well. I'll make myself look like a fool…" said Odori, "again…"

"We'll get you some tea, then. Just don't look so miserable," Toshiro smirked, and stood, "I'll see you inside…"

"Yeah… Bye," Odori nodded off, and continued to look outward at the darkened sky, "I guess it's the price I pay for being a good teacher… And at least I know he's in good hands…" she rose, and walked back into the living area of the house, and was immediately greeted by a wobbling Fuji.

"Hey… You wanna dance…?" Fuji chuckled, and tumbled over onto the floor at Odori's feet.

"No, thanks… You want to not throw up on my sandals-- And that request fell upon deaf ears, I see…." said Odori with a wince, "Miyamoto, where's your bathroom?"

"I'll lead you," said Musashi, who walked over to Odori and led her to the bathroom. During this time, Ryo walked towards Fuji, and busied herself lifting the raven-haired woman up onto the couch.

"How much did you have?" inquired Ryo as she propped Fuji up onto the couch next to Heiji.

"This many," said Fuji, lifting up four fingers and then giving a long chuckle. She them toppled over onto a surprised Heiji's lap, and the son of the samurai looked downward at her in horror.

"I think we better call in a night…" said Ryo.

"Cagliostro…" slurred Fuji, "Letter…."

"Woah, Cagliostro?" Yukiko spoke for the first time, and lifted her fedora from over her eyes, "What about Cagliostro?"

"What's Cagliostro?" asked Ryo.

"Nothing," said Yukiko shaking her head and looking over at Toshiro worriedly. He exchanged the glance, and then turned his attention back to Fuji, who was being led out by Ryo to the driveway.

"Cagliostro…" muttered Toshiro.

"You thinkin' what I'm thinkin'?" Yukiko asked Toshiro.

"Yeah. I've got to hit the Jiffy Lube before it gets too late," replied Toshiro as he approached the opened front door.

"Get me some beef jerky!" called Yukiko as he exited.

"Are we married? Last time I checked, it was no," retorted Toshiro as he walked towards his vehicle, "Thank you for the wonderful meal and the doctor's appointment!" Toshiro yelled to Musashi's future wife.

"Guys, Dumb and Dumber are outside!" shouted Odori, running out of the bathroom with Musashi, "We've got to run!"

"Such is life," Yukiko sighed as she rose from her comfortable position, "Hope to see you lovebirds around! Bye!" she ran out to catch up to Toshiro, and jumped onto the back of his Vespa, which was already speeding up. Ally and Heiji quickly followed, and Odori hesitated before running towards the door.

"Sensai, thank you!" said Musashi with a deep bow, "We'll name our first daughter after you, in honor of your assistance to our clan."

"Do me a favor, and don't allow anyone to call her Dori. Trust me, children are cruel, and the fish jokes will be abound," replied Odori. With that, she ran out of the residence, and jumped into the gang's getaway car.

"Dori, it wouldn't have worked," said Ryo, "He's an idiot, you would've killed him."

"No, if you killed idiots, you would've tried to kill me long ago, knowing what a genius you think I am…." chuckled Heiji.

"Fuji, what's Cagliostro?" inquired Ally, leaning forward to her.

"Clarisse…" muttered Fuji, "Cag… Ca… I'm drunk, aren't I?"

"Extremely," replied Ryo, "Now, just rest, Buddy. We'll get in a nice warm bed in no time, and you can tell us all about it in the morning…"

"Letter…" muttered Fuji, "Cagliostro…"

Later, the hotel:

"Out of the frying pan, and into the fire…" mumbled Toshiro as he sat drinking a warm bottle of scotch with Yukiko, his closest comrade, and the only other one with any strong notion as to what Cagliostro was.

"I wonder…. Could it have anything to do with your dad and my dad?" inquired Yukiko as she set her shot glass down on the table. Fuji, in honor of their success and her drunkeness, had ordered individual rooms for the group, a rare treat for all. This left Yukiko and Toshiro plenty of time to converse with one another in private, without the watchful eye of Ally over them, as it usually was. Jigen had actually gone to bed early due to a fowl mood; the Southern team had one the Stanely Cup, and he had given serious thought to committing honorable suicide with Zantetsu before lulling off to sleep. All were tired from the battle, and even though it was almost daytime, nearly everyone was asleep.

"Perhaps," Toshiro glanced downward at his shot glass, and gave a weak smile, "My father told me that the Lady was quite the looker…"

"I'll bet anything that you're a pervert…" grumbled Yukiko.

Toshiro smirked, and moved a little closer to Yukiko, whom he was already close to, "You really think I'm…."

"Uh, yeah…" Yukiko leaned back a little from him, "Are you feeling okay? You're looking really weird…" Toshiro continued to look at Yukiko strangely, until there was a knocking upon her door.

"Door!" Yukiko yelped, and rose to run to the door. Toshiro, broken out of a trance he had been in, fell out of his chair onto the ground, and put a hand over his face as he looked upward at Yukiko, who continued to walk to the door. She opened it, and a waiter with a cart stood in front of the door, smiling at her cheerily.

"You ordered the breakfast for two?" he inquired.

"Toshiro," Yukiko looked back at Toshiro, "did you…"

"No," he shook his head, "Did—"

"No," she darted her eyes back to the waiter, and noticed he was now brandishing handcuffs. Another set of hands had also popped out from beneath the cart, also wielding handcuffs.

"Hope we didn't come in the middle of something," chuckled Max, who was the officer under the cart. Upon further inspection, they realized that the waiter was none other than Leo LeBlanc.

Toshiro gave a look of shock, and shouted in anger, "I would never do anything like—"

"Save it!" snapped Max, "Now get in these handcuffs, and tell us where Lupin is!"

"Oh, I could tell you," replied Yukiko, glancing at Leo, "but I won't." she added to LeBlanc's dismay and relief.

"Fine—But there's no escape," Max called to Toshiro, who had walked over to the window to run. Toshiro looked out, and saw what appeared to be the entire Tokyo police force, heavily armed. A few bullets zoomed past him, and he shut the curtains, and turned back to Yukiko.

"And there's more behind us," added Leo, with less zest than Max.

"Crap, now what?" Yukiko whispered to Toshiro as she looked at their blocked exits. There appeared to be no escape in sight.

"I have a plan," whispered Toshiro.

"Well, I'd love to hear it about now!" Yukiko hissed in a low tone.

Toshiro drew out his swords quickly, and before Leo and Max could utter any words, the two had fallen through the floor, Yukiko screaming the entire ride down. Her white fedora floated slowly downward, and landed on the dazed girl's stomach.

"Hey, it worked!" Yukiko laughed in disbelief.

"That's terrific…. Now could you get off my spine?" asked Toshiro pleadingly. Yukiko looked downward, and realized she was sitting atop the samurai.

"Sorry," Yukiko smirked, and lifted herself off Toshiro. She then helped Toshiro up, and both turned to the horrified newlyweds whose room they had invaded.

"I don't believe it," Toshiro muttered, wide-eyed in horror.

"It's that pervert from our vacation!" cried the woman.

"Oh, I'm prepared, this time!" the man shouted, revealing a gun. Both looked wide-eyed in horror, and ran out of the room, just as the inspectors popped their heads down into the hole. The woman let out another scream, and both jerked their heads back in, narrowly avoided gunfire.

"We're the good guys!" Leo shouted.

"Come on. We'll get them later. They'll be helpless without their other members," Max reassured him. Leo nodded, and both walked out, and down to the next room. There, they heard no human sounds, but what appeared to be chirping.

"That sounds… Like a squirrel…" Max frowned.

"Er, we'll come back to this one," Leo reassured him, and led him down to the next door. There, they heard not one, but two voices. After their banging on the door went unanswered, Leo went to picking the lock, which he did with great ease. After picking the lock, Leo opened the door, and he and Max entered.

They found Fuji in the room, along with a male friend who had probably arrived their only minutes before but had intended to stay a while. Both Fuji and Leo exchanged looks of shock, and Fuji's eyes wandered over to her guest. Leo pushed his way past Max, and walked straight over to the man, his gun drawn.

"What are you doing?" Leo asked in a hiss of a whisper, "What are you doing?"

"No-Nothing Mister Officer, Sir…." replied the terrified man, looking downward at Leo's gun barrel.

"I could kill you now and get a medal of honor for it, but I don't kill anymore," replied Leo in a deeper tone which gave way to a voice very much like his father's, "You could go to jail for this, you realize…"

"No—I have a family, man!" the man protested.

"Then get the hell out!" Leo screamed, and threw him towards the door of the hotel room, all while Fuji looked onward, stunned.

Leo turned back to Max, who had not noticed LeBlanc's small outburst, and he turned to Fuji.

__

What's wrong with him? Fuji wondered as she looked at the shaking Leo. _He looks like he's going to cry…._

"Lupin, you're under arrest!" Max shouted triumphantly to her. Just then, a blade jutted through the through, and before they knew it, Fuji had vanished, floor and all. The two inspectors looked downward, and watched as she ran out of the room, with Ally, Yukiko, Toshiro, and Ryo all intact.

They got to Heiji and Odori's room as well, but too late. Even after sending troops down to the floor below, they had not captured a single one. But they found many of their officers tied up.

"I want a search of this entire hotel!" Max ordered, "Check the rooms, the laundry room, the kitchen—Anything! If there's a large group of tourists, ask for passports! Get moving!" Max, at that time, then realized Leo was no longer with him.

"Where on earth is LeBlanc?" Max wondered out loud as he looked about. He grew more and more worried as he failed to find LeBlanc in any of the rooms that were under investigation.

He found Leo on the roof of the building. He approached LeBlanc silently, but his shoes made enough noise to let Leo know he was present.

"Leo, what are you doing?" Max inquired as he looked downward at LeBlanc.

"Nothing… Just keeping an eye out for Lupin…" replied Leo, "They found the treasure they stole from Miyamoto in Ryoko's room, so we can file that under evidence when we get back… They took two officers to the hospital to get rabies shots… Apparently Allen Jigen had squirrels in his room for some unknown reason, and they bit the officers… That guy Fujiko Lupin was with has vanished…"

"Are you okay?" Max asked worriedly.

"Yeah," Leo nodded, "I just…. I think I need a vacation, that's all…"

"I agree. You've been working hard…." answered Max.

"No, I haven't," Leo shook his head, "I'm weak…. You've been the force behind this operation, and I've just been the backup… I don't mind, though…. There've always been stronger people than me…."

"No—Hey, I saw you with that guy in Lupin's room! I thought you were going to kill him!" Max laughed in response.

Me too, Leo thought to himself.

"Now, come on. We've got to get that stuff back to the evidence room, and then I'll get us breakfast!" Max smiled, and patted Leo on the shoulder.

"I'll be down in a little," Leo replied. Max nodded, and exited back down to the top story of the hotel.

"Dammit, Fujiko!" Leo said to himself, "Who in the hell do you think you are—Mom!? I tried everything to protect you from turning into our parents… I guess I failed, huh?"

During his berating of himself, Leo failed to notice the group of suspicious-looking police officers exiting the building, among them one with numerous bracelets, one with one sword, one with two swords, one with black glasses, one with a white fedora tucked away, one with a shaggy haircut over his eyes, and the other with a surprisingly large bust. The group ran towards a pink Alfa Romeo and a yellow Vespa, and quickly headed out.

"Ah, Ari…" Fuji muttered as she noticed her brother sitting on the roof of the hotel, "Sorry it has to be like this, but you'll have to learn to accept some things… Like the fact that I'm not the little girl you were always protecting and tormenting when we were kids…."


	13. Freebird

DISCLAIMER: I Don't own Lupin III… And OH MY GOD A GIANT DINOSAUR!!!! Hee hee… Sorry, just wanted to see if anyone read these. Good Lord I need to take up another hobby…

Konnichiwa!

Yay! Reviews—Reviews always make me happy. And thank you for the review on my original piece, Amikazuki. I've thought about continuing Jack's story from there, but I'm not sure yet. Right now I'm laying out I want the story to flow. Anyway, people seemed happy with a few Odori-centered chapters, and I'm glad of that—She seemed like she was getting abused by everyone, and needed a little time in the spotlight. I hope to speak to everyone again soon, and as always, please read and review!

Chapter Thirteen

A Little while Later: Freebird

__

'Her majesty's a pretty nice girl,

but she doesn't have a lot to say,

Her majesty's a pretty nice girl,

But she change from day to day,'

--The Beatles, _'Her Majesty'_

A Hotel in Athens, Greece:

"What are you talking about, Cagliostro!?" Fuji chuckled.

"What is it?" inquired Ryo.

"It's an old movie I was watching!" replied Fuji in an unconvincing tone, "With John and Lionel Barrymore! From the thirties!"

"That movie was _Arsene Lupin_, you egomaniac," snapped Ryo.

"It doesn't matter, it doesn't matter!" said Fuji with a laugh, "Let's just enjoy this lovely Greek atmosphere!" Both turned and stared at the crowded streets, filled with people on bikes, people on foot, people on bus, people in cars, and goats. They then turned back, and Ryo sipped her tea quietly while Fuji cleared her throat.

"I wonder how the others are doing…" thought Fuji aloud.

"Why didn't you go with them again?" inquired Ryo.

"I faked sickness. I don't like heights," replied Fuji as she sipped her tea once more.

Atop a tall building in Greece:

"Grrruuu…. Grrrruuu…" Toshiro cooed to the purple-colored pigeon before him while trying not to fall off of the domed roof.

"He's actually talking with it…" muttered Heiji, "And it's answering…"

"Grrruuuu… Gruuuuu…." called the pigeon in return. It slowly crept towards him, and Toshiro pulled out bag of birdseed. The pigeon strutted towards the food bag, and Toshiro smiled as it came towards him. Toshiro smiled, picked up the bird up in his hands, and cautiously walked back to the others.

"Got him," Toshiro smiled and looked downward at his new friend.

"Great," Heiji frowned, and looked downward at the bird.

"Now we can return him!" said Ally with a smile.

"Where's she from, anyway?" asked Toshiro as he pet the pigeon on the head.

"A pigeonry, or something… They raise pigeons as delicacies," replied Yukiko. Toshiro stopped petting the bird, and looked downward at it. It looked back up at him, knowingly. He opened his arms, and allowed the pigeon to fly off into the blue Greek sky, leaving all stunned beyond words.

"Idiot!" Odori yelled, "Insolent fool! Has the air gotten to your head!?"

"Toshiro! What the heck—" Heiji started.

"I couldn't let someone eat her!" Toshiro argued passionately, "She ran because she knew her time was nearly through!"

"You bird-loving psycho…" grumbled Ally, "That was our expense money!"

"I'm sorry, but I couldn't do it! It was immoral!" snapped Toshiro.

"Immoral… Coming from a thief… Rich…." muttered Ally with a roll of the eyes. All then watched in shock as the pigeon swooped in, and flew back to them, and landed on a surprised Toshiro's left shoulder.

"I guess she likes me…" he muttered, looking downward at the cooing pigeon.

"At least someone does right now," said Odori with gritted teeth, gripping onto Zantetsu tightly and quelling the thought of stabbing Toshiro and his precious bird.

Later that night:

"Why me!?" Yukiko whispered as she peered into the darken bedroom, a single figure lying on a cot in the small bedroom.

"Ally offered to share a room with me, so you can have all the time you want to get the bird out of pigeon-boy's hands!" snapped Heiji as he looked back at his brother.

"But…"

"It's either this, or we travel by vehicle to our next destination," said Fuji sternly, "Your choice. Either this, or we have Heiji talking about video game codes he's created across Europe."

"I… Okay," she nodded, and walked into the room slowly. She could hear the door shut behind her, and she turned back to the sleeping Toshiro and the sleeping pigeon, "Well… Here goes… Sorry, Toshiro…" She leaned forward, and reached for the pigeon, but instead tripped on one of his sandals, and lost her balance. She fell onto the cot, and landed next to Toshiro.

Toshiro slowly awoke, and opened his eyes, and blinked a few times, out of surprise. There was Yukiko, looking back at him, "I'm awake, right?" he asked himself quietly.

"Sorry, I left my gun in here," she chuckled nervously, and sat up on the bed.

"Oh, I…" Toshiro turned to the pigeon, who snuggled down deeper in his pillow, and then at Yukiko, "You're going to wake her up. Why don't you be getting back now?"

"Ur, yeah," Yukiko nodded, and quickly exiting. She closed the door, and Toshiro turned back to the pigeon.

"I was sort of hoping that I was still dreaming… At least I still had a chance in the dream," he whispered quietly to the nesting pigeon as he rubbed her head. It cooed softly in response, and nestled down in his pillow.

The Next Day, Outside a Post Office:

"I hope she makes the trip all right," said Toshiro as he exited the post office, having just shipped the pigeon to his New York address, "I told Kome about the ordeal, and she'll work with the offices to get the bird out right away. I told her where she could find the bribe money jar in my apartment."

"Great…" muttered Heiji darkly, "I hope our meal ticket enjoys New York…"

"Oh, don't talk like that," Toshiro grumbled, "She was going to be dinner for someone! That just wasn't right!"

"Please…" Heiji rolled his eyes.

"Come on, let's get back—Fuji wanted to speak to us," Toshiro nodded towards his vehicle, and both climbed on and soon drove back to the hotel, where Fuji had awaited their return. They were surprised to find they bags already packed, and Fuji sitting in the chair of one of the hotel rooms, everyone else gathered around her.

"I lied about not knowing about Cagliostro—I'll admit it," she sighed. Ryo shot her a dirty glance, and Fuji lowered her eyes, and continued, "Anyway… The queen is offering a large reward for the return of the princess, who's run away…. She's convinced that Lupin will find her, but Lupin's not here. Lupin the Third is probably enjoying the sights of the Bahamas, about now. It's just us. I hope you don't mind, guys."

"Not at all. I would be a great honor to serve royalty," said Odori, breaking out of the silence.

"Good, then, it's settled. I guess now that it is, I should give you guys your faux passports, huh?" Fuji chuckled, and revealed a plain white envelope.

"We're predictable…" muttered Ryo.

Two Days Later:

"This place is for rural than Romania," said Yukiko as she looked about the deserted brown dirt roads of Cagliostro.

"I'll say… I haven't seen a place this desolate in almost twenty years!" replied Toshiro.

"Hey, there's a bar!" shouted Fuji, pointing to a small village with a tavern on the outskirts. Ryo signaled for Toshiro to pull over with them, and he did so, being sure not to damage his bike as he did so.

They entered the old musty tavern, dimly lit and crowded with people. The other tavern dwellers stopped briefly to look at the scruffy-looking team. The Lupin gang slowly seated themselves at a large table, and began to speak to one another about their plans for Cagliostro.

"Hey, anyone think…" Ally started, but was soon cut off by a quick-talking Heiji. He went to speak a few other times, but other excited men and women with their own schemes and plots continually drowned his voice out.

"I'm going to go get some fresh air…" muttered Ally, who rose from the table without another word and exited the tavern. He stormed to the lake towards the back of the tavern. He looked downward at the water, and seated himself on the ground, thinking to himself about his life stealing, and his life back home.

"Maybe I do have a temper… But it's because I'm surrounded by nonstop smartasses," muttered Ally as he looked upwards at the clouding blue sky. He stopped, and looked around quietly. He could've sworn he had heard someone. He shrugged it off, and resumed sulking, but it then became apparent that the shrill scream was not a figment of his imagination. He rose from his place on the ground, and ran towards the source of the screaming.

He found a small figure splashing in the deep water of a river with a strong current, screaming whenever it could gasp for air. Ally quickly dove in, not thinking to remove his shoes or jacket before doing so. He swam towards the person, and gripped around the waist of the being, and drug what he realized to be a her towards the other side of the river. He pulled himself and the woman onto the land, and looked downwards at her. She wasn't breathing. He thought back to his mandatory first aid class, and began mouth-to-mouth on the young woman.

"I'm so sorry, Miss. I'm not a pervert, really!" he muttered as he pushed on her chest, closed her nose, and went to breathe into her. After a few attempts, she began to cough up water, and she turned to her side, and then looked upward at him distantly.

"Are you all right?" he inquired, looking downward at the blonde girl.

"I'm fine…" she muttered quietly in a soft tone, "Who… Who are you? An angel? Am I dead?"

Ally blushed, and smirked weakly, "No, I ain't no angel… And you're alive…"

"Not for long!" she looked upward at a black helicopter, and grabbed Ally by the wrist. She ran with him into the woods, the chopper chasing them along the way. Ally shot back once, and one of the passengers in the chopper let out a groan of pain. The chopper turned around, and the girl held onto a surprised Ally as it flew off into the distance.

"You're a little clingy, eh?" he chuckled as he looked downward at her.

"Sorry," she drew back and smiled, "My name is Carmen."

"Wonderful to meet you. I'm Dai-Ur, Allen…" he answered, "Well, it's Daisuke, but my friends call me Ally…"

"I take it I'm a friend then," she chuckled, "Thank you again very much…" she said as they walked along the wooded brush with Ally.

"Why were you running, anyway?" he inquired as he looked over at the short-haired blonde girl with the crystal blue eyes, "And why were those creeps chasing you?"

"It's a long story, and I'd rather not talk about it, if you don't mind. I just enjoy the walk," she replied quietly, looking downward at her feet self-consciously. Ally looked above his thick bangs, and studied her curiously. She was dressed in a knee-length hunter green skirt, and a white long-sleeved blouse, as well as short-heeled black shoes. The clothing looked quite expensive, he noticed.

"Carmen…" he muttered, "Carmen… Where have I heard your before?"

"I'm not sure… But you look familiar, too. I can't seen to place it," she replied, tilting her head to a side and stopping to look at him. Ally stopped, and turned to her, and watched as she reached forward and smoothed his bangs back, "No, I still can't place it," she said with a shake of her head, and continued walking along with him, "Where are you from, Allen?"

"Allen?" he laughed, "Well, Chicago, originally. I just move around a lot now. I'm with my friends and—Oh, crap!"

"What is it?" she inquired.

"My friends! They're probably wondering where the hell, ur, heck I am!" he answered, slapping his forehead, "Do you have any clue where we are?"

"Not a one," she answered, shaking her head, "I've never been this far away from home before."

"Well, we're a team, aren't we?" Ally smirked, "Well, hopefully we can find a town through these woods. If we get hungry I can always hunt something down."

"Hunt?" she frowned.

"Yeah, uh, like a deer, or a squirrel," he shrugged, "Don't worry, you don't have to look when I do."

"All right," she nodded, and continued with Ally down the forested area.

The Palace of Cagliostro:

"Right this way, Inspector LeBlanc, Inspector Zenigata," said the servant as he led the two Interpol officers into the main room of the palace.

"Would you look at this, Leo? I've never seen anything like it in my entire life!" Max whispered as he looked around at the grand sculptures and paintings. Leo noticed one painting in particular, and also noticed it was a fake. He knew this because Lupin the first had stolen the original, and had replaced it with a copy. The original hung in his parents' dining room.

Leo said nothing about this, though, and turned his attention back to Max and the servant. He looked upward towards a grand staircase, and watched as a mid-forties brunette woman scaled down, in a regal, draping blue dress. She looked over at Max, and smiled, and gasped as she laid eyes on Leo, who she did not recognize at first, because of his reading glasses. He had been doing a crossword up until the point when he entered the greeting area.

"Good evening, gentlemen…" she said in a whisper, "It's a pleasure to meet you both."

"It is a pleasure to meet you, your Majesty," said Max with a sweeping bow. Leo followed soon afterwards.

"Inspector Zenigata and Inspector LeBlanc, you Majesty," said the servant, "I will now take my leave."

"Very well," she nodded, and turned back to the inspectors, "I understand you both are interesting in the absence of my daughter, Carmen…"

"Yes," Max nodded, "I was wondering if we could search her bedroom, for any clues to her whereabouts."

"Very well," she nodded. "But I must speak with Mr. LeBlanc in private," she added, taking a puzzled and frightened Leo by the arm and leading him away from Max.

She waited until she was in a long hall, far from Max, to start speaking, "Oh, Lupin, I knew you would pull through for me."

"Lupin?" Leo yelped, "My-My name's Leo!"

"It's not," she stopped, and shook her head, "You have all of his features. You even sound like him!"

"I… I…" Leo looked downward, and sighed, "Ma'am, Lupin the Third is retired, and Lupin the Fourth is a coward."

"But I invited Lupin, and he responded," she protested.

Leo looked upward, and slowly removed his reading glasses, "That'd be my sister, Fujiko."

"Fujiko… And Lupin?…"

"Yes," Leo nodded.

"If you're Lupin the Fourth, then why is she posing as him?" she inquired.

"Because… I'm in hiding, like a coward," Leo replied, closing his eyes tightly, "I have been… I, I did a really bad thing, and I can't live with Lupin because of it. I have to be Leo; he's the reason I haven't driven myself insane yet!"

"I see. You poor confused child…" she smiled sadly, and put a hand on Leo's cheek, "I won't tell your secrets, but I hope you'll still try to help find my daughter."

"Of course," Leo nodded, "It's one of the duties as an officer of Interpol."

"Thank you, Lupin," she smiled, "I mean, Leo… Would you and Mr. Zenigata mind joining me for dinner later tonight?"

"That'd be great, Ma'am," Leo replied, "I'm going to go catch up with Max, now, if you don't mind."

"I don't. Good luck," she said with a weak smile, and watched as he exited the hall, "Good luck, Lupin the Fourth…"

Meanwhile, at the Inn:

"Where is he!? He's been gone for hours, and he isn't back yet!" Fuji said worriedly as she paced back and forth about the bedroom where all had gathered.

"Maybe we hurt his feelings," Heiji shrugged, "I haven't been able to get reception on his cell phone ever since he left. This place is a virtual black hole. There's only one electrical outlet in here, and no telephone jack. And that electrical outlet looks like an electrical trap. This is worse than that time I was stranded in rural Australia…"

"Hey, we found you eventually!" Toshiro responded.

"I'm really worried… He doesn't know this place… And I have a bad feeling that something's going down here soon."

"I've got that feeling too, Yuki," Ryo admitted as she turned to her sister.

Heiji became aware of the sound of marching first, and he pulled back the worn curtain, and stared wide-eyed at the rows of troops, "Hey, guys, look at this…"

"What the…" Fuji muttered as she stared out at guards. The others soon crowded around, and they stared in dumbstruck awe at the troops walking towards the palace in uniformed order.

"I told you… I have Dad's sixth sense," Yukiko sighed as she stood up and pulled her hat over her eyes, "Ally, I hope you found somewhere safe to stay…"

In the Neighboring Village Inn:

"Here you are, Sir," said the innkeeper, handing Ally the room key.

"Thanks," Ally nodded, and turned to Carmen, who had stood behind him during the process of obtaining a room.

The two walked up a rickety flight of stairs into their room, which was as ancient as the innkeeper.

"I'll take the chair," Ally offered as he undid his tie and closed the door. He removed his jacket, and looked at Carmen, who shot him a questioning glance, "What?" he looked downward, and noticed his gun in its holster on his side, "Oh, sorry…"

"I've never seen an actual gun before today," she muttered as she looked downward at the shiny metal weapon, "I… I'm sorry, it's just… Why do you carry it, anyway?"

"It's a long story. Just get some rest, now, Carmen. Tomorrow I'll send you back home, and I can get back with my friends."

"No!" Carmen yelped, "I… Allen, I ran away, because I don't want to have to marry someone I do not care for."

"What? Your parents' are making you marry someone you don't even love?" Ally inquired.

"Well, it's either that, or a lot of trouble…" she replied quietly, "I've said too much. Good night."

"Yeah," Ally fell back in the chair, and tilted his head downward, and found sleep difficult that night.

The Palace of Cagliostro:

"S'cuse me! Welcome wagon, on the way!" Fuji shouted as she leaned over Ryo and laid her fist down on the horn of the car. Ryo worked diligently to swerve through the army of soldiers, as did Toshiro, who drove with Yukiko, as usual.

They drove to the front doors of the palace, where a surprisingly spry Fuji jumped onto the hood of the Romeo and then jumped onto the marble step. She knocked on the door several times before there was an answer.

"Tell her Majesty that Lupin the Fourth and company has arrived," said Fuji with a curtsy.

"Ur… Very well…" nodded the butler numbly as he stared at the group with the legions of soldiers behind them. One went to approach, but before he could speak, Toshiro withdrew a blade, stopping him from entering along with the group. He suspiciously followed the soldier with his eyes as he entered along with the others, leaving his Vespa parked in the entryway.

"Wow… Reminds me of Mommy and Daddy's summer home!" said Fuij as she looked about the room, "Oh, we have that picture, too!" she gasped, pointing to the same picture Leo had spotted earlier in the day.

"Indeed," the butler muttered blandly, "I'll inform the Lady t hat you have arrived…" he vanished briefly, returning with the ruler of Cagliostro, who had kept the company of Max and Leo, who had been looking over their information. Leo and Max both stopped dead as they laid eyes on Lupin and company.

"LUPIN!" Max shouted, running towards Fuji with his handcuffs.

"Oh crap," Fuji muttered quickly, and broke into a run. She and Max started to run about the room, around the Lupin gang, around Leo and the Cagliostro ruler, around the butler—They caused a feeling of dizziness amongst the entire crowd.

"Hey, stop, now!" Heiji shouted to Max, and ran towards Zenigata. Heiji may have been shorter, but he beat the thin Max in the weight category. He tackled Zenigata, and seated himself on the inspector's back while the others looked onward in horror.

"Get your fat ass off me!" growled Max.

"Oh, like your bony shoulders are a joy to sit on?" Heiji sighed as he looked downward at Max, "Dad forced me to join the junior football league so I could get exercise…"

"Can we all have some order?" the older woman inquired, "Please? Mister Ishikawa, please discontinue your resting on Inspector Zenigata."

"Yes, Ma'am," he nodded, sighed, and rolled off of an aching Max.

"And you Inspectors shall not touch the Lupin Organization as long as they are on Cagliostro earth. They ancestors are considered national heroes here."

"I… We—" Max sputtered.

"Max, trust her," said Leo, "There's a girl out there right now, really lost and really scared. We all came to rescue her. Now, I say we concentrate on finding the Lady Carmen."

"And Ally!" Ryo added, "He disappeared today!"

"Ally?" she Cagliostro ruler frowned.

"Allen Jigen," replied Max, "Professional hockey player, weapons expert, and martial arts enthusiast. Not to mention borderline psychotic."

"Psychotic!" she gasped.

"Everyone has their good and bad qualities," Fuji shrugged.

"My poor baby!" she moaned.

"Your Majesty, you-know-who's back for you-know-what," said the butler as he looked out a large paneled window, "And he's brought reinforcements…."

"Let him in—But send the rest away," she replied sternly. The servant nodded, and walked over to the door, and led a heavily-decorated general into the main hall. He looked about, and glared at the thieves and the officers.

"Your Highness, I hope now that you see how serious I am, you will reconsider your offer to allow me to marry the Lady Carmen, or else you shall find out the dire consequences of your pride…" said the officer.

"Never, you monster! Now leave!" she snapped, "I will find a way to stop you and your barbaric ways—I will not succumb to the demands of an insect such as yourself!"

"Very well. 'My kingdom for my daughter'…." he smirked, and exited.

"Ryo, he reads Shakespeare, too. Maybe you should both hook up!" Fuji chuckled to Ryo under her breath.

"Shut up, not now," whispered Ryo out of the corner of her mouth.

"This is getting dangerous," the saddened woman of royalty said to herself, only within the earshot of Leo, "My poor Carmen…"

"Clarisse, listen," Leo sunk his voice down to match his father's, "If Carmen's as strong as you, she's fine."

"It's so good to have someone call me just Clarisse again," she wept, "Please find her, Lupin…"

"I will, don't worry," Leo nodded, and put a hand on her shoulder. They both then turned around, and exited up the stairway, leaving the others in the greeting hall with only the butler and silence as their company. Little did they know that mere miles away lay the future heiress of Cagliostro and the future heir to a lineage of mob men.


	14. I've got the World on a String

DISCLAIMER: Uh… I dunno… Don't own Lupin III… So there.

Anyong!

Oh, what to say, what to say?… I hope everyone's had a nice summer so far—As always, I'm open to any ideas that anyone would like to pass by me, and, who knows, I'll probably use them. Thanks for the reviews, again, and I how you all give me your wonderful opinions in the future. Thanks! See you until next time, boys and girls!

Chapter Fourteen

The Next Morning: I've got the World on a String

__

'I tried to telephone,

They said you were not home,

That's a lie,

Cause I know where you've been

And I saw you walk in your door,'

--The Beatles, _'No Reply'_

An Inn in Cagliostro:

"Good morning, Carmen," Ally yawned with a stretch as he awoke in the early morning, "Carmen?" he inquired, looking about and noticing her missing, "Carmen!?"

He rose and quickly searched around the room, and became aware of a knocking on the door. He drew his gun, and watched as the room opened, revealing Carmen carrying a tray of breakfast foods for the two. She gasped in surprise, and nearly dropped the tray, but Ally was quick, and he caught the tray with his free hand, "Where were you!?" he inquired as he sheathed his gun and set the food down on an old wooden table.

"G-Getting breakfast," she replied quietly as she closed the door behind herself, "I'm sorry." She added with a look like she had just committed some horrible crime.

"Hey, it's okay, it's okay. You make up for it with this great meal!" Ally replied as he looked over the food, "Come on, let's eat. And then we'll head out. We'll have to go out a slightly different exit, though."

"Really? Which? I only saw the one," said Carmen as she seated herself to breakfast.

"You'll see," Ally smirked as he looked over at an open drawer with a few pieces of clothing someone had left over.

Later, through the Cook's entrance of the Inn:

"Allen! This is wrong—We haven't paid!" Carmen whispered as she drew her scarf over her hair and followed Ally out the back to a series of other smaller buildings behind the inn. The two quickly fled the area of the inn, and waited until they were out in a main street to walk normally once more.

"Okay, we're good now," Ally said, removing the long jacket he had put on for a disguise.

"That was so very wrong," Carmen muttered as she removed her coat and scarf.

"Well, we don't exactly have the money right now, so it's either we sneak out or I go prostitute myself," Ally replied, "And I'd be a sorry excuse for a prossy."

"What's a prostitute?" inquired Carmen. Ally nearly fell back in shock, and blinked a few times in surprise before venturing to answer her question, which he managed to fumble through with an extremely red face. "You'd go and do that for the both of us?" she inquired after she got the gist of what he was talking about.

"Hey, I've done worse," he replied, scratching the back of his head, "Anyway, let's try to figure out where exactly we are, so we can both get back home." Ally walked over to a middle-aged shopkeeper, and cleared his throat as he went to speak, "Excuse me, Ma'am, do you know the name of the town we're in?"

"What's it to you?" she inquired irritably.

"I—Why you old hag!" Ally growled, balling his fists in anger.

"Here," Carmen reached in her pocket, and pulled out a gold coin in front of a stunned Ally. The shopkeeper's eyes lit up as she laid her eyes on the coin, "Do you think you can remember the directions to the palace of Cagliostro now?"

"Certainly! I'll be right back with a map!" she replied, rushing into her shop and nearly tripping over her skirts in the process.

"Well, you're just full of surprises, aren't you?" Ally sighed, half-exasperated, half-amused.

"You bet!" she smiled and laughed.

"Here's your map!" the shopkeeper ran out of her store with a map, "And lunch for the both of you! Wouldn't want a nice little couple like yourselves to starve! You don't cook for your husband much, do you, Ma'am? He's quite thin!"

"Husband!?" Ally's eyes shown visible through his bangs, and Carmen saw that they had grown wide in shock.

"Thank you for your kindness," said Carmen with a smile as she handed the woman the coin and received the map and lunch. She tried to hold back laughter as she led Ally off, and the two were soon out of the small town.

"So, I take it you live near the palace?" Ally inquired a little later when they had traveled some through the woods.

"Well, I guess you could say that…" she replied, closing the map and stopping in the middle of the road, "I really don't want to go, though, but I know if I don't go, I'll cause a lot of trouble for everyone."

Ally stopped, and rolled his eyes tiredly. It was going to be one of _those_ days, "Listen, Kid—If it's really so bad, I'll talk to the guy for you, okay? I'm sure with a little reasoning, my friends and I can get you out of whatever trap you're in."

"Are your friends miracle workers?" she inquired with a tone of sarcasm.

"Well, no—But it never hurt to try," Ally replied with a shrug.

"I suppose you're right," she nodded, and walked over towards him, "Let's go, then."

"Best idea you've had today," Ally said, and continued walking with her down the path. The castle was now within sight.

Inside the Palace:

"How're the troops holding?" Toshiro inquired as he advanced towards Yukiko, who sat in a windowsill in one of the towers of the palace.

"As still as ever. I'm starting to think they replaced themselves with dummies," Yukiko replied as she lit a cigarette and looked back downward at the barrage of guards, "We can't get out. Odori tried last night, but she got her ass royally handed to her. Check out the new haircut they gave her when you get the chance. We're stuck in here with Zenigata and Ari, and Ally is out there, along with Clarisse's daughter."

"Leo's been comforting the Lady in the absence of her daughter," Toshiro said as he looked out at the guards, all with swords and bayonets.

"I know. It's borderline creepy, if you ask me," replied Yukiko, "Where's Fuji?"

"She went down into the dungeons to see if Carmen wandered down in there," Toshiro answered. He watched as the guards started their daily marching routine, and Yukiko smirked.

"Watch this; it's kind of cute. Three times a day—Kick, one, two, march, left, right, left, right," she chuckled as she watched their marching routine. Toshiro gulped as he saw them unsheathe the swords in unison, and Yukiko, seemingly knowing, took her cigarette out of her mouth and placed it in Toshiro's. He nodded his thanks and took a drag of the cigarette as he looked down at the guards.

"Jesus…" he muttered, shaking his head, "I hope Fuji knows what she's doing."

Beneath the Palace, in the Dungeon:

"My, my, my—What a happy place," Fuji muttered as she swung her flashlight about, looking at the mounds of corpses, "Could use curtains, though…." she added as an afterthought, "And maybe an coffee table or two… Yep, curtains and coffee tables… Hee hee…" her blood ran cold as a rat ran over her feet, and she shivered in her own disgust, "Oh, when Ari comes around, they'll be hell to pay for making me go through with all of this so as not to let down the Lupin Dynasty and carry on the family business."

She turned about a corner, and screamed as she found another living figure. He screamed in surprise as well, until he realized that it was Lupin and she realized that it was Zenigata.

"Lupin!" growled Max.

"Zenigata?" Fuji blinked in surprise, "What in the hell are you doing here?"

"I… Was doing research, and…"

"You were snooping around, accidentally fell down here, and are currently looking for a way out…" Fuji sighed.

Max's face twitched, and he looked downward and cleared his throat, "Well, I—"

"Please, Zenigata, you're just like your old man. You're your dad in the body of your mom, which is a frightening thought," replied Fuji, "How'd your dad land someone like your mom, anyway? Mail order?"

"That is none of your business!" Max yelled, his face flushing, "You need to help me get out of here, now!"

"I don't have to do _jack_, Blondie," replied Fuji with a hint of annoyance in her tone, "And why I should help you, out of all of the people in the world. I'd sooner save LeBlanc!"

"Oh, please! I've seen the way you look at him—You like him!" snapped Max.

"I WHAT!?" Fuji yelped loudly, her voice echoing off of the walls, "I can reassure you, Leo doesn't like me, and I don't like him in that way!"

"What makes you think that?" Max inquired.

"We're wasting time! Let's get going… There's nothing here," Fuji sighed, shoving her flashlight in her jacket pocket, "Carmen's out and gone."

"Shush! Get down!" Max whispered, grabbing Fuji by the shoulder and bringing her down next to himself.

"Why? I—" she turned, and saw two armed guards entering through another entrance from the outdoors, "Spies…" she whispered. Max nodded, and both slowly approached the guards, Max picking up a blunt object in the meantime.

"Hey, you hear something?" inquired one guard to another.

"Oh, you mean me?" Fuji giggled. Both turned around, and stared in shock at the gorgeous woman in their presence.

"Hey, how'd you get down here?" one of the guards demanded.

"How'd you get so beautiful?" another inquired.

"Shut up! Start talking!" the first guard demanded.

"Oh, I'll let Mr. Zenigata do the talking," she chuckled.

"Huh?" both turned, and came face-to-face with Max and an old military rifle he had found. Max clubbed both across the face, knocking them unconscious in the process.

"Wow, where'd you learn to swing like that, Zenigata?" she inquired as she looked downward at the guards.

"My dad golfs a lot. I was his caddy for years. Developed a hell of a swing as a result," Max panted in the response, "Come on, now, let's get going. We need to let everyone else know."

"Right," Fuji nodded, and both exited, her leading the way, "Hey, does this mean we're friends now, and you aren't going to arrest me?"

"No—Wait until we're off Cagliostro soil," Max warned, "Then you better watch your ass."

"You're a riot, Zenigata," Fuji chuckled.

Inside the Palace Gardens:

"Don't worry—I called the United Nations. They'll have these guys out by tomorrow," Leo reassured Clarisse as they looked over the gates at the numerous guards.

"Thank you very much, Lu—Ur, Mr. LeBlanc…" replied Clarisse with a soft smile, "It's an awful feeling, being a prisoner in your own home… And not know where someone you love so dearly is."

"Yeah, I know the feeling," said Leo, averting his eyes to the floor, "My folks used to run off to all different parts of the world. Fuji and I would go with them a lot, but, when we didn't, we'd wonder where they'd be off to. We never knew if we'd spend more than a few days in certain places. My only friends were Ally, Fuji, Ryo, Heiji, Odori and Yukiko. But Yukiko was always older than us—More of an adult than a kid. Max and I spent time together when we were little, but he doesn't remember. I barely know Toshiro, to be honest. I don't think anyone really knows him except Yukiko."

"You act a lot like your father."

"No, I don't. My father's a loving, hyperactive, philandering, showy goofball. Well meaning, but often anything he does backfires… He's convinced 'I'll come around' to his way of thinking. And he's so smug about it, too! Grr… When I told him I was going to join the police force, he moaned and asked my why I couldn't have told him some better news, like that I was gay."

"Hm…" Clarisse smirked, "Well, you may not be a good thief, but you're certainly a good person, Mr. LeBlanc."

"Thanks, Ma'am," Leo nodded, and the two continued with their walk.

Somewhere in the Countryside, Late in the Evening:

"Oh, aren't you precious!" Carmen exclaimed as she held her hand out to the young baby in the farm woman's arms.

"Thanks a million again for fixing my engine, Stranger," said the farmer to Ally.

"No problem. It was just some bad wiring from the headlights to the front," Ally shrugged in response. He and Carmen had found a farm that they were allowed to stay the night in, in exchange for Ally's limited mechanic skills. He usually left the car repair to Yukiko, but he had managed to pick up a few tips in the meantime.

"Would you all care for any more to eat?" inquired the farm woman.

"No, thanks—We're fine," replied Carmen, "Thank you both very much for your kindness."

"All right, well, I'll show you to your room now," she smiled, rose, and walked the two up to a small bedroom, where she left them and walked down.

"Margaret, those strangers may be the answer to our prayers," said the farmer as he looked over a newspaper, and threw it down on the table, "Look."

"Well, I'll be!" she gasped, looking downward at two separate stories. One read, 'Cagliostro royalty skill missing' and the other read 'Lupin gang in town—member still missing'.

"They're offering rewards for both," said the farmer, "We could finally afford a new home…"

"I know… But, they're just children!" she sighed.

"And we have our own children—And our own well-being to look after!" he replied, folding the newspaper and rising, "I'm going out to find an officer. He'll take it from there. Just stay here and make sure they do, too."

The farm woman waited until her husband had been gone for about ten minutes before she ran up to Ally and Carmen's door and pounding on it.

Ally came to the door a few moments later, only having fallen asleep recently. Carmen was still asleep on the bed, "What's wrong?" he inquired.

"My husband found out," she replied, "He went to go get a police officer!"

"The police!?" Ally yelped, and looked back at Carmen, "Carmen, get up! You and I are in some serious trouble!"

"Please, hurry before he gets back!" the farm woman pleaded.

"Hm? Allen, what's wrong?" Carmen inquired, sitting up in bed.

"That farmer went to go get the police!" Ally replied hurriedly as he threw his tie over his neck and shoved his jacket on. Carmen quickly slipped into her shoes, and after Ally had finished tying his shoes, they were off.

"Thank you," Carmen whispered to the woman, handing her a gold coin with a piece of paper wound about it, "It's the number to the palace. If there is ever anything you need, please let me know!" she said hurriedly.

"Carmen, come on!" Ally shouted from downstairs, "The cops are here!"

"Out through the cellar!" the farm woman instructed the two as she rushed down the stairs with Carmen. She led the future duchess and thief down to the cellar, and threw Ally a parcel of food and other supplies before they exited, narrowly escaping the police.

"That was close," Ally confided to Carmen as they looked outward at the numerous police officers in the distance, "Come on," he took her by the hand, and the two started down the dirt road towards the palace, "How are you feeling?"

"Fine," an obviously tired Carmen replied after they had walked down the road for some time.

"Hey, let's just rest here a little while. It's got to be about four in the morning," Ally yawned, pointing towards a large tree on the outskirts of another forest. Carmen nodded, and both walked over towards, the tree, and seated themselves at the base of it. Ally looked downward in surprise as he watched Carmen lean against him and close her eyes, "Comfy?" he inquired.

"Quite," Carmen replied, "I swear, after all of this is over, I'm never going to act like a spoiled brat again."

"What? You, spoiled? I can't believe that!" Ally laughed.

"I've never walked this much in my life! I've rarely even been out of my home…" Carmen replied tiredly.

"That's good, I guess. My parents used to take us all over the world when I was a kid. Never really had time to make a lot of friends. At least you had some sense of stability," Ally responded, "I guess I got a temper as a result…" he added softly in a mutter.

"Nonsense! You don't have a temper!" Carmen chuckled.

__

Come to think of it, I've been acting pretty damn sane the past couple of days… Ally realized much to his surprise. _I haven't even been tempted to shoot a squirrel, and this place is crawling with them!_

"So, what was your favorite place to visit?" Carmen inquired.

"What? Why do you want to know that?"

"It will help me to fall asleep," Carmen replied.

"Well… Canada, I guess. Basically because I love hockey. I went because a pro team actually wanted me to play for them. Then I lost my temper, and beat up one of the coaches with the head of the team's mascot costume," replied Ally.

"You did not!" Carmen laughed in disbelief.

"Yeah—Really. Guy needed seventeen stitches in the back of his head!" Ally laughed proudly, "Well, enough story time. Let's go to sleep now, Carmen. We ought to be arriving near the palace tomorrow."

"All right. Good night, Allen," Carmen yawned, and soon fell asleep.

"I know I've seen her somewhere before…" Ally said to himself as he looked downward at a ring with an emblem of a goat on it.

The next morning, at the Palace:

Three empty bottles of Italian wine lay spread out throughout the bedroom of a certain white fedora-wearing gunwoman, while the certain white fedora-wearing gunwoman lie passed out on her bed. During this same time, a certain two blade-wielding samurai lie passed out on her couch.

Toshiro awoke first, and lifted his head up from the couch, "Oh, God…How much did I drink last night? My head… Jeeze…"

"Yuki?" he rose and walked over to Yukiko, who was still asleep. She had drunken out of hopelessness; she secretly seethed that she could do nothing to help her brother. Toshiro had stayed with her in case she went to attempt to do anything stupid, and had drunk a fair amount as well in the process. As much as Ally hated and distrusted him, Toshiro worried about him, for Yukiko's sake.

"Hm?" Yukiko lifted her head, and looked upward at Toshiro, "What are you doing here?"

"It was a late night, I guess," Toshiro replied, scratching his head, "How do you feel?"

"Like I'm going to throw up," Yukiko admitted, her head bobbing back and forth. She awkwardly rose from the bed, and Toshiro watched as she stumbled forward onto him. She looked upward, and laughed, "I think I'm still a little drunk…" she admitted with a laugh.

"Well, you should lay back down, then," Toshiro said uneasily as he looked downward at her. He watched in confusion as Yukiko put a hand behind his head, and drew closer to him.

"Nah, I don't think so," she chuckled, and leaned inward even more.

"Yuki, I—" Toshiro stopped as Yukiko kissed him, "had no idea you felt that way, too..." he added in a whisper as she broke off.

"Yeah, we'll you've been away a while, and there's a lot you don't know," Yukiko replied with a smile, "But there's always time to catch up on things…"

"Hey, get up! Up!" Toshiro heard as he came crashing back to reality. He opened his eyes, and saw Yukiko looking downward at him, "It's nearly the afternoon! Hey, why's your face so red? Drink too much last night, buddy?" she chuckled, and slapped him on the back good-humoredly.

"Uh, did we…" he started as he rose off the couch, unable to look Yukiko in the eye, "Er… Nevermind…" He replied as he rubbed his eyes tiredly.

"What we did was drink a little too much. I'm going down to get some grub, okay? See you there!" Toshiro then watched as Yukiko exited, and banged his fist against the couch when she had left.

"I can't believe I fell for that dream sequence crap!" he growled angrily. He rose, and walked to the door, and banged his head against it a few times, "It wouldn't happen in reality, anyway… Dammit!" he grumbled as he exited, and walked down to the others, who were in the middle of a tense breakfast.

Along the way, however, he saw something quite curious. A very nervous Max exiting another room. Max looked at him a few moments before he turned away and quickly ran down the stairs to breakfast. Toshiro followed soon afterward, and came down the breakfast hall, where the others were seated. As he seated himself, he noticed Fuji was unusually quiet at breakfast, as was Max. The others were also behaving strangely, but because of the disappearance of Ally and Carmen. Heiji figured it was something dealing with the two spies in the dungeon.

"Are they still outside?" inquired Ryo.

"Yep. I checked," Heiji replied with a nod, "Dori, maybe they'll finish your haircut, if you want."

"Burn in hell!" Odori growled, her chin-length hair bouncing as she leaned forward to pounce on Heiji. Heiji laughed as Ryo held her back, and Odori finally calmed down after coaxing from Ryo.

"All of those bastards deserve a taste of my blade for what they did to my head!" Odori said authoritatively as she took a bite of her toast.

"Language, language, children," chided Ryo.

"We've got to devise a plan—Something to surprise them in case they try to get out again!" said Heiji.

"Well…" Toshiro paused, "There is a little trick I learned in the theater a while back… It's far out there, but anything's worth a shot if it'll keep them out of that entrance, right?"

"We're all ears, Toshiro," replied Fuji, leaning inward towards the samurai.

Later, the Dungeons:

"This place gives me the creeps…" muttered one guard to another as they looked about at the corpses.

"Yeah… But, hey, they're all dead, right? So what's to worry about?" the other soldier laughed.

"Oh, are we?" they heard in a hiss. They both spun around to see what looked to be a skeleton standing on his own two feet.

"Who said that?" asked one guard nervously.

"Us!" another skeleton replied, rising to face them. Both men screamed, and backed away, only to come face to face with a sword-wielding spirit from beyond.

"I—I don't believe it!" the one guard shouted.

"Come on!" another shouted, pulling the guard away from the skeletons and through the exits.

Toshiro jumped off of the beam he had been standing on, followed by Yukiko and Odori, who proved to be handy puppeteers. "Men will believe anything when their sense of fear is increased," said Toshiro as he jingled the bone puppet on its strings.

"I guess it's a bad time to tell you that I figured out what we did last night. I took a pregnancy test and it turned out positive," said Yukiko as she set her puppet down, "Congrats, Daddy."

"What!?" Toshiro choked.

"Joking, joking. I just was testing your theory," Yukiko chuckled.

"That is _not _funny!" a red-faced Toshiro fumed, "The last time a woman told me that, it wasn't a joke!"

"Heiji and Ryo ought to be doing their part about now…." said Odori as she tossed her puppet aside.

The three began to run down the hall to a secret exit in the dungeon, and found Ryo and Heiji anxiously awaiting them, "We couldn't have held off much longer!" said Heiji with a sigh of relief, "Come on!" He shouted, and ran out with the others. He pressed a button on a control panel as he ran away from the wall, and the bombs that he and Ryo had carefully placed around the doorway exploded in a barrage of orange blooms.

"Well, that's out of the way… Let's hope Leo can pull through…." Said Heiji with a tone of exhaustion.

Inside the palace, Leo LeBlanc had worked four hours over the telephone, speaking with various Interpol and United Nations representatives in over a dozen different languages in order to receive some sort of assistance, but to no avail. No one was willing to enter a place like Cagliostro during the hostage crisis which they were facing.

"Maybe I could go talk to their leader," said Max to Clarisse, "I mean, this guy can't be totally heartless!"

"I doubt that," replied Clarisse with a frown, "The Lord Mordella is slow to kindness, and quick to anger."

"Mordella?" Leo spun around in his chair, looking obviously frazzled his purple jacket lay tossed aside, and his orange tie hung loosely from his neck. Amongst Leo was a fortress of language and customs books, and well as telephone books, and LeBlanc's reading glasses looked as though they were about to slip off of the bridge of his nose.

"Yes," Clarisse nodded.

"I'll go get you some coffee, Leo," Max said, patting Leo on the shoulder as he exited the room. Zenigata returned moments later with a hot cup of bitter-tasting coffee with only a hint of cream in it, as Leo usually took his coffee, "Anything I can do?"

"Yeah… Um, go through the phone numbers I've gone through on this list, and cross them out with this red pen in the phone book, okay?" Leo sighed tiredly, putting a hand over his eyes, "What a mess…."

"Okay," a more understanding and placid than usual Zenigata replied, seating himself cross-legged on the floor next to Leo and beginning to cross out the names. Max occasionally ate from a Styrofoam cup of Ramen as he did so, but for the most part quietly did menial chores for Leo.

About six hours later, Leo closed his phone book, set the phone back in its cradle, and turned to a barely sleeping Clarisse. He removed his glasses, and spoke softly and tiredly, "That was my last outlet… No one wants to help us… We're facing this one alone…"

Max looked upward at the disappointed Leo, and took this opportunity to swallow his pride. He rose up from the floor, stiff from sitting on it so long, and picked up the telephone, and dialed, "Hi, Dad? Yeah, yeah, I know… Listen, I need a favor," Max sighed tiredly, "Do you remember your old connections with Interpol? Do you still have them? Great… Well, I'm kind of in Cagliostro right now, and…. You will? All right, thanks, Dad. Send my love to Mom. Bye." Max hung up the phone, and blew his bangs from over his eyes, "Interpol will be here in the morning, and, unlike the UN, they won't pull out."

Leo watched silently as Max polished his glasses, and then walked past him silently, "Good night, Leo…"

"He might not admit it, but it took a good chunk out of his pride to make that call," Leo frowned as he spoke to Clarisse, "Come on, Ma'am, let's get you to bed. It's only a few hours until daylight."

"You've made a good friend, Lupin," Clarisse said to him quietly as she rose.

"I know. That's why he can't know who I am," replied Leo, "I'm going to go to my sleep now. And considering this is my room, I don't really have to go very far…"

"Good night, Mr. LeBlanc," said Clarisse.

"Good night, Ma'am," replied Leo with a nod.


	15. Sir Duke

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Lupin III, got it? Good.

Hola!

Hey, great news—If you're reading this by July the Fourth, just thought I'd let you know that rumor has it Lupin will be back on the air on the 5th. Yay! Thought I'd just share… Anyway, glad you all like the developments so far. And sorry about the cliffhangers all of the time, as hypocritical as it sounds, I loathe them just as much as anyone else. Unfortunately, I like to write them. Well, enjoy the conclusion of the Cagliostro storyline, and I hope to see you all around soon. Bye for now! Daisuke, signing out!

Chapter Fifteen

The Next Day: Sir Duke

'I'm looking through you, where did you go?

I thought I knew you, what did I know?

You don't look different, but you have changed,

I'm looking through you, you're not the same'

—The Beatles, _'I'm Looking Through You'_

The Next Morning, in the Countryside:

"Good morning, Allen," Ally heard when he awoke. He opened his eyes, and looked towards Carmen, who had fallen asleep next to him in a cave they had taken shelter in for the night.

"Oh, 'morning, Carmen!" Ally yawned, "Well, I guess we should clean up and get going, huh?"

"Yes," Carmen nodded, and rose with him off of the ground and walked with him towards a nearby river. Ally and Carmen separated, and Ally kneeled down onto the ground and wiped his face with the water and slicked his hair back with the cold liquid. It fell back over his face as he rose again, and he walked down the side of the river to fetch Carmen, who had also cleaned herself up for her reunion—Today she would be returning home, and he would continue the search for his friends.

"You ready?" Ally inquired.

"Uh-huh," Carmen nodded and rose from the riverbank.

"Let's get going then," Ally replied, and the two set off towards Carmen's 'village'. As they walked towards a main road, the two were nearly run over by a line of passing cars.

"Interpol?" Ally frowned as he placed the vehicles' markings, "What the hell are they doing here? Oh, God, what if they found them?"

"Found whom?" inquired Carmen.

"It's a long story!" Ally replied, "How far is your village from the castle?"

"Very, very close," Carmen responded hesitantly.

"Let's hurry then," Ally said, and took her by the hand and continued to walk down the road towards the castle.

When they came extremely close to the castle, Carmen suddenly moved away from Ally, "I can take it from here. Thank you very much, Allen. I hope someday we can see each other again," said Carmen.

"What? What do you mean? You're leaving—Why? Where's your village, anyway? There's no town in sight!" Ally said in confusion.

"I've got to go, I'm sorry!" Carmen yelled as she began to run from him. Ally tried to run to her, but lost her in the thick brush.

"Damn," Ally mumbled, put his hands in his pockets, and looked towards the castle, "Fuji, you and everyone else are in there, aren't you?"

He found a swarm of guards in front of the palace when he reached it, and Interpol officers with weapons drawn ordering the guards to leave the premises, "Just gets worse and worse, ne?"

"Mordella's got a hostage," Ally overheard an officer say, "The Duchess' daughter!

"Bad enough the Lupin gang is in there. This is a mess!" another officer said.

Ally ducked away from the officers, and slowly crept about, putting his black jacket on and hiding in the shadows. He searched about the castle until he found a small opening amongst a pile of rocks. He crawled through the small hole, and ended up in a dark dungeon. It took him even more searching to find an exit about the creepy dungeon, and he frightened a maid to the point of fainting when he stepped out of a hidden passage in a painting.

"Damn…" muttered Ally as he looked up and down the halls. The first one he fell upon in the castle was Leo, whom he embraced out of relief. He then realized whom he was hugging, and drew back in shock.

"Wait a friggin' second, why am I acting buddy-buddy with you!?" Ally snapped, pushing Leo back.

"I don't know. Aren't you supposed to be missing?" inquired Leo.

"Yeah. Aren't you supposed to be arresting me?" inquired Ally.

"You're under political safeguard. I can't touch you," Leo replied bitterly.

"Cool! So I could punch you, and I can't get arrested?" Ally asked hopefully.

"Well, yeah, I—Ah, crap…" Leo grew wide-eyed, and flinched in the expectation of the blow. But instead, Ally chuckled, and patted Leo on the shoulder.

"'S okay. I've got to find my sisters—Wherever the hell they are. Hey, do you have a light?"

"Uh, no…"

"How's about a shiner, then?"

"A what?" but before Leo could finish, he fell back onto a wingback chair, not feeling Ally's blow until moments later.

"That's for breaking my sister's heart," Ally snapped, and shoved his hands in his pockets. He whistled as he walked down the hall, and worked his way into the study, where the group was gathered and sitting solemnly. Ryo was the first one to look up, and she let out a gasp, and rose. She ran to her brother, and the usually cool-mannered Ryo embraced Ally.

"Ally, are you okay!? Oh my God, I thought you were in a ditch somewhere!" Ryo said quickly.

"Ally?" Yukiko rose from the couch where she had been reposed, and also strode over to her brother, and also embraced him, "Where were you!? Wow—Mom and Dad are not to know about this, okay?"

"Good to have you back, Ally," Toshiro said as he rose and extended his hand to Ally. Ally looked down at his hand and replied.

"Hey, don't get the wrong idea, I still hate your guts. But for what it's worth, I missed not having your guts around to hate," replied Ally.

"Ally, it's wonderful to have you back, but, in case you haven't noticed, there's a little bit of an emergency outside that we have to handle," said Fuji.

"Yeah, what's up?" inquired Ally as he looked out the window.

"This Lord here is threatening to invade the palace unless the Duchess allows him to marry her daughter, the soul heir to Cagliostro," explained Fuji, "He's taken her hostage, from what I hear…"

"Thanks for the drink, Yukiko," Ally said as his sister handed him a flask to drink out of, "What's her name?"

"HELP! Someone HELP!" he heard from below, and spat out his drink from the flask.

"What was that?" Ally inquired.

"Look, she's down there!" Heiji yelled, "Let's get going! We can get her out of there now!"

"I'm going to stay and protect Clarisse!" added Max as the others ran out and down the halls to the front doors, where some of the soldiers had taken to opening the door with a battering ram. They all stared tensely ahead as they heard the battering ram bang against the old wooden doors. They drew their guns and unsheathed their swords, and poised for attack as the doors began to give way.

"That trap set up, Heiji-chan?" Fuji inquired as she eyed the doors.

"Yep," Heiji nodded, eyeing the numerous tacks spread on the floor, and the large bucket standing precariously over the door.

The doors burst open, and the first groups of soldiers were greeted by extremely slick cooking oil, and as a result of this, they slipped on themselves, and had their falls broken by rows of tacks. Soldiers fell on top of others, making the situation worse. The ones who got through were faced in battle by the Lupin gang members, and no one seemed to notice the disappearance of Ally, save for Yukiko.

"Where are you going!?" Yukiko shouted in shock.

"I've got to warn one of my friends! She's in a village near here!" Ally shouted back.

"There isn't a village around here for miles!" Yukiko yelled in return.

"What?… She lied to me…" Ally muttered in shock, "She lied… But why?"

"Let me go, let me go!" Ally heard in a female tone, and he swung his head around to see a large soldier—No, general—Dragging a young woman by the hands, "Carmen! They caught her!" Ally gritted his teeth, "Hey, you let her go!" shouted Ally to the general. This was quite a sight, considering Ally was nearly two feet shorter than the general.

"Allen?" Carmen gasped.

Ally took a step towards Carmen, "Carmen, what are you—" Ally fell back from a blow given by the general, and tumbled to the ground. Carmen screamed, and stomped on the foot of the general.

"You vile worm, Mordella!" shouted Carmen as she tried to tear away from Mordella, "My mother's going to have your head!"

"Not before she has yours—Delivered in a box!" Mordella snapped in response, "Come on, now. We must leave this place. I did not think it would be this dangerous!"

"No!" Carmen shouted.

Mordella removed a pistol from his belt, and aimed it towards Ally's head, "Where are the airplanes? Tell me, or your scruffy friend here will never see the light of day again!"

"I… I'll take you to them…" she said quietly, looking downward at the ground.

"Guards! Kill this venomous little snot if he so much as breathes," snapped Mordella as he looked downward at Ally and delivered him a kick to the lower back. Ally let out a groan, and Carmen turned away and stifled a cry as Mordella led her up the stairs, "Find the Duchess!" Mordella ordered, "Kill her and whatever stands in your way!"

"Yes, Sir!" several of the guards replied, saluting Mordella. One looked downward at Ally, and noticed Jigen's wallet lying on the ground.

"Well, he's as good as dead—Why will he need it?" one of the guards said out loud as he reached for Ally's wallet. He was surprised by a hand suddenly gripping around his wrist and knocking him into a group of several other guards. Ally chose this opportunity to start running, and he tried desperately to outrun several of the guards on his heels. Ally looked upward and noticed a large piano looking upward at him, and he quickly ducked under, and looked back at Max and Leo (now with a black eye) who were gripping onto the piano and smiling.

"This is a little unethical," Leo admitted.

"Who ever claimed we were into ethics?" Max countered as they pushed the piano down on the guards, who fell back from the weight. Clarisse, who stood behind the two, breathed a sigh of relief, and Leo and Max stood back on either side of Clarisse in order to protect her.

While Ally was continuing his pursuit, the Lupin gang fared far worse. Most had been captured and tied tightly with thick rope, and they all sat cross-legged against a wall, a line of soldiers standing in front of them with guns drawn. Even Fuji looked worriedly as she looking downward at her high heels.

"Hey, Toshiro, I've got an idea," Yukiko whispered to him, "It's going to take a little acting and a lot of awkward moments between us, though."

"As long as I don't end up as sushi, I'd do anything," replied Toshiro.

"Well, in that case, I have something to tell you," she said, looking downward at her feet, "Can I have one last request, please?" she inquired of the guards.

One sighed, "Make it quick…."

"I know we haven't had time to really bond like we used to, but, I feel we still have a strong link between us," she said, near tears. This had drawn the attention of the stunned Lupin members, who craned their necks forward to see what Yukiko was up to. "I'm just sorry… That I never came around, and admitted what I felt. It's too late now though, I guess. If I could do it all over though, I'd have loved to have gotten a farm, and raise some kids… I guess what I'm trying to say is, I love you."

"Holy crap!" Heiji choked.

"Yuki?" Ryo blinked in surprise.

"Well, this is certainly a development," Fuji quipped.

"Indeed," a stunned Odori added.

A surprised Toshiro was unprepared when Yukiko leaned inward and kissed him, but after a few moments, he understood what was going on. Good thinking, Yuki, he thought as he felt a plastic covered box-cutter blade enter his mouth. She had probably hidden it under her tongue as a precaution. After she broke away, Toshiro put his face to his chest, and dropped the blade into one of the loose sleeves of his gi. He then caught it with his hand, undid the cover, and went to cutting.

"Yes, I'm sorry we never had the opportunity, either, Yukiko," replied Toshiro as he finished cutting the ropes and inched towards Yukiko, who took the blade from him and went to cutting her ropes, "But, do you believe in the second chances?"

"Of course!" Yukiko smiled, and both jumped up, and wriggled out of their ropes. Toshiro swung once with Izanami, and freed the rest of the group, "You know I was just joshing you, Buddy! I'd never go to a farm!"

"I know!" Toshiro replied as he swung at another soldier.

Meanwhile, Ally had scaled up to the roof of the palace, and found Mordella and Carmen preparing to enter a private aircraft. Ally removed his gun, and shot once at Mordella in order to get his attention, and Mordella turned, and smirked, "Still alive, I see. Pity."

"Funny—I was about to say the same thing," Ally chuckled, "Let go of the lady, Pal. She's with me!"

"How heroic," Mordella said, "Since you're so old fashioned, how about an old-fashioned duel?"

"I don't play those games. I'm not my dad," Ally snapped, and shot at the airplane propeller, sending one of the blades flying. Mordella growled, and grabbed Carmen by the hair, and held a gun to her head.

"Now try something funny," said Mordella.

Ally drew his gun out quicker than Mordella could see, and shot. A bullet landed in Mordella's shoulder, and Carmen fell back, and lost her balance on the edge of the stone building. Ally slid over to her, and gripped her hand, and pulled her back up. She embraced Ally, and shakily muttered something to him which he did not quite catch. He looked upward at Mordella, and saw he was still holding his gun. Ally rose with Carmen, drew his gun, and stared Mordella down.

"I don't waste bullets on scum like you-- I regret the one I put in you already," Ally snapped, and Mordella noted the strong winds from an approaching helicopter. He turned back, and looked into the face of a police sniper. He grumbled, put his hands up, and fell to his knees.

"Come on, let's go," said Ally, hobbling with Carmen off of the airplane hanger and down the stairs.

"Are you hurt badly?" she inquired.

"I've had worse," Ally chuckled, but stopped as his bruised ribs cried in pain, "Yeowch… Don't make me do that again, okay?"

"Don't worry, I won't," Carmen replied with a smile, "Why did you come here?"

"I could ask you the same thing," Ally answered as they continued to walk down the stairways. They made it to the main room, and saw the soldiers of Mordella being led out in handcuffs by Interpol officers while the Lupin group, the inspectors, and Clarisse stood in the main entranceway, conversing with one another. Most looked worn and tired, but there were no terrible injuries.

"Carmen!" Clarisse yelled happily as Carmen came into view and ran towards her.

"Ally!" Ryo and Yukiko ran to their brother, who looked as though he had been in a war.

"Daisuke Allen Jigen, if you ever think about doing that again, we'll both kill you!" Ryo said sternly but with a smile.

"Mother, I'll never leave again! I promise!" Carmen wept.

"Mother?" Ally frowned as he looked at Carmen.

"Jigen?" Carmen returned.

"Does that mean you're—"

"And you must be—"

"You're the--"

"You're with the--"

"I knew I recognized you!" both shouted in unison.

"Mother, I had the strangest and most dangerous journey you could imagine!" said Carmen excitedly, "And Allen was with me every step of the way! He saved me when I was drowning!"

"Hey, you saved my ass a few times, too, you know. I could've ended up in jail if it weren't for you!" Ally replied with a modest smile.

"Drowning?" Clarisse frowned, "Jail?" she inquired, turning to Ally.

"Mother, I know that what I did was wrong, but you have to understand why I did it," said Carmen with a tired smile, "I just wasn't ready—Especially since it was Mordella I was to marry! But, now I've changed my mind…"

"Ah, boyfriend," Ally said to himself with a nod. Maybe she'll invite me to the wedding, he thought.

"Allen," Carmen turned to him, and took one of his hands, "I want to know if you'd be interested in staying with me in Cagliostro, as my husband."

"Your… Husband?" Ally choked.

"Uh-huh," Carmen smirked, "Would you? Please?"

"Well, I… Yeesh…" he muttered. Carmen took this as a yes, and embraced Ally.

"Oh, this will be wonderful!" Carmen said cheerily.

"LeBlanc, you'll have to fill out this case report… I'll be laughing too hard," said Max to Leo as he looked upward at the stunned Ally and the happy Carmen.

"My daughter… Married to… Oh, my," Clarisse muttered, lying a hand over her eyes, "I'd be hypocritical to say no, but… My goodness…."

"Rock on, Ally," Heiji said, saluting his friend.

Two Days Later, the Evening:

Hundreds of members of royalty and owners of large businesses from around the world had shown for the celebration of the return/engagement of Carmen. Even the Lupin gang had stayed, along with Leo and Max, who were representatives of Interpol's finest, much to the chagrin of their superiors. The two had been offered positions in the Cagliostro police force, but had humbly declined.

Ally had dressed in a more fashionable suit for the evening, and had seen nothing but politicians and bureaucrats the entire day, making his head spin. He found Carmen by a fountain in the gardens of the palace, sitting and looking downward at the fish in the fountain swimming about. She was dressed in a white party gown with a blossoming-out skirt that went down to her knees, and long white gloves to go along with the dress. Her shoes as well as her headband, which held her blonde hair back, also matched the ensemble.

"Allen!" Carmen smiled as she laid eyes on her. She stood, and wrapped her hands about his neck, and kissed him briefly. Ally was still not used to her treating him as such, and he twitched a smile as he seated himself next to her.

"Hey, Carmen," he smirked, and looked downward into the water at his reflection. Ryo had done his hair for the evening, and therefore had slicked it back tightly, making him look a great deal like his father, sans beard.

"The caterers will arrive in the afternoon tomorrow," said Carmen excitedly, "And you should see the beautiful flowers that they're going to bring! And mother said all right to the idea of having the wedding in the garden—Won't it be wonderful!? And we can have the reception in the guest house, I figured."

"I've been thinking," Ally let out a long sigh, "And, I don't really—"

"You don't want to get married, do you?" Carmen said sadly.

"No, no, no! I do… Just not now…" replied Ally, rubbing one of his arms anxiously, "I mean, we're still pretty young, and we've only known one another for like a week. You have no idea what I'm like a lot of the times—Crazy, I'll admit. And I have a temper. It helps a lot when I'm fighting, but not when I'm talking to regular people… I know I don't act like that around you, but I'm afraid I will."

"I won't mind it," Carmen replied with a smile, "You're just nervous, is all."

"Maybe… But I'm not cut out to rule anything! I don't even think someday… I mean, as of now, I can barely manage running my life…" Ally sighed, "I just think… I think we've both got to think this over, because we don't want to regret something… I mean, you might meet some really nice guy down the road, and you'll be stuck with me! And I've got obligations with Fuji's gang…."

"Well, you could still go and—"

"Nah—Go, and leave you alone? That's not fair!" Ally responded.

"I'll go with you then," Carmen gulped, "I can adjust… I know it won't be the life I'm used to, but you can show me how to be a thief, right? I can even learn to fire a gun! I'll learn to be a good thief! My mother will be upset a little at first, but she'll understand!"

"Everyone here needs you, and everyone there needs me," Ally replied with a solemn frown, "I wish that it was different, but…. I just can't marry you right now…"

"But someday?" she inquired hopefully.

"Well, maybe… Down the road," Ally replied.

"I'll wait, then," said Carmen with a smirk after a pause.

"What? It could be years!" Ally gaped.

"It will be worth it," she replied, putting one of her hands over his, "I don't care if it's years. I'll wait for you until you're ready. I think I also need some time to think, honestly."

"Good," Ally nodded, "I won't forget, though, okay?"

"I won't, either," Carmen answered, leaning forward and kissing him on the forehead, "It will be hard, but I'm sure someday it will work out. Until then, I have to do a lot of work around here. What am I going to tell mother? This won't be easy…"

"Ryo went to talk to her on my behalf," replied Ally with a chuckle.

"When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow," replied Ally.

"All right," Carmen nodded, "I'll inform everyone tomorrow. I've got to leave now, but I hope to see you off in the morning."

"Fine, see you then… Boy, Mom and Dad won't _believe _I almost married into royalty!" Ally said as he exited and walked back up to his bedroom. After a few unsuccessful attempts at calls to his parents, he gave up, packed, and lied down to sleep.

Meanwhile, Clarisse was having words with Toshiro and Yukiko in the library. Toshiro looked scarily like his father as he and Yukiko sat in front of a lit fireplace, his eyes closed as Clarisse spoke to both.

"I know Mr. LeBlanc and Mr. Zenigata both turned down my offer," explained Clarisse, "I heard of the way you two work as a team within the team that Ms. Lupin has assembled… And I want to offer you both the position as bodyguards for myself and my daughter…. I have been informed that unfortunately Mr. Jigen is not ready to accept the position offered to him. It's a pity, too… But, anyway, what would you two be interested in the job? I won't take one without the other!"

"Uh… Could we have a few moments to talk about this?" Toshiro inquired.

"Of course," Clarisse nodded, and exited.

"What do you think?" inquired Toshiro.

"It's a nice offer, but my boss is Lupin," replied Yukiko, "Same for you, right?"

"Yeah. She's right-- I don't work without you," Toshiro nodded, and both rose to meet Clarisse outside, "Sorry, but we can't. We've already obligations."

"I understand," Clarisse nodded, "Well, I'll keep your political asylum permanent, so if anything horribly terrible happens, just come to Cagliostro. You'll be safe here, I promise."

The Next Morning:

Ryo was at the helm of the Alpha Romeo, with Fuji in the shotgun seat and Odori and Heiji in the back. Max had had his Police Cruiser fixed, and he and Leo were also in their vehicle. Toshiro was at the helm of his repaired Vespa, Yukiko preparing for him take off at any moment. Ally was the only one that they waited on now, and he busied himself with his good-byes to Carmen.

"Bye, Carmen. Hope to see you again soon," said Ally.

"Here, take this until you return," Carmen said, removing the ram-encrusted ring from her finger and handing it to him, "I hope to see you again soon, as well."

"Bye!" Ally waved, and ran to the Alfa Romeo. He jumped onto the back, and fell in between Heiji and Odori. He continued to look back at Carmen until she, along with her mother and the palace, vanished out of sight. Ally let out a large sigh, sat back in his seat, and closed his eyes as Ryo drove onward.

"In a form of condolence, I must tell you that it more than likely would not have worked out," said Odori after a pause.

"Yeah—You wouldn't have fit in there. Plus, have you seen their hockey team!? It totally sucks!" added Heiji.

"It's okay. It wouldn't have worked... You're both right," Ally shrugged.

"Well, we're passing over the border now…" said Ryo with a smirk to Fuji.

"You know what that means," said Fuji.

"LUPIN!" Max shouted out the window of the police cruiser, "LeBlanc, step on it! We can catch them all now!"

"Here we go again…" Leo sighed as he pressed on the gas of the cruiser.

"Here we go again!" Fuji shouted excitedly as Ryo floored the gas of the Alfa Romeo, "Whoo hoo! Hey, Blondie, LeBlanc—Come on and get us!"

"You shut your ass up!" Max shouted in return.

"Why do you get a nickname?" inquired Leo.

"That's not what you said a few nights ago!" Fuji laughed loudly. Max growled, and took the wheel from Leo.

"Here! You drive like an old woman!"

"Hey, Max, let go!" Leo pleaded, "Watch out for that goat and-- Oh my God, you nearly ran over a goat!"

"Ah… Sweet, sweet normality…" sighed Ally contently, "'Bout time we had some of that around here!"


	16. Viva Las Vegas

DISCLAIMER: I'm going to stop these… They bore me. If you want to sue me for writing this, fine—All you'll get out of the lawsuit are Beatles records and a poster of Rod Stewart.

Well, good evening, friends…

I don't really have any ultra-important news to report, but I would like input on how I'm doing, and what else I can do to help make this an even better story—Yay! I'm really trying to start work on other fanfics as well, and I've narrowed it down to a few choices. I'll let you guys know if I start a new story, but, until then, please enjoy what I'm writing, because I enjoy writing it. : )

Chapter Sixteen

A Few Weeks Later: Viva Las Vegas

__

'Since you left me I'm so along,

now you're coming, you're coming home,

I'll be good like I know I should,

you're coming home, you're coming home'

—The Beatles, _'It won't be long'_

A Casino in Las Vegas:

"Sir, we have a problem!" shouted one of the casino managers to the owner, "The computers show there's no money in the vaults!"

"WHAT!?" the casino owner shouted, and rose from his large and expensive desk, "Show me!" he demanded. The manager nodded, and led him down to the computer room, where a stunned accountant was checking over the computer screens.

"Look at this!" he yelped, "We've got a virus! And I've never even heard of it before! These damn hackers!"

"Hackers!? That's nonsense! Who could've broken into our system!? It's flawless!" yelled the owner.

On the rooftop:

"Oh, I love my job," chuckled Heiji as he continued typing on the computer, "And they're probably freaking right now, and all gathering into the computer room… Little do they know that as they sit slack-jawed at their screens, admiring the work of Heiji the Hacker, that their 'guards' are allowing the Lupin gang to get away with their fortune. Ah, I _love _Mondays!"

Meanwhile, downstairs in the vaults, two guards stood in front of a large metal vault, one whistling Elvis songs whilst the other look onward annoyed, "Do you have to whistle those that shrilly?" the female guard asked.

"Sorry," the male guard replied with his thick New York accent, "But this is boring me and much as it is boring you, admit it."

"Well, do you at least know something by Dean Martin?" she inquired.

"I can whistle the theme from _Andy Griffith_," he replied.

"American television rotted your mind a long time ago," she grumbled, "Now where are they?"

"Hey, you miss us?" a 'showgirl' inquired as she walked down to the vault along with two female waitresses and a male card dealer.

"Fuji, what's up with the outfit?" Yukiko inquired as she looked Fuji up and down with a raised eyebrow. Lupin had dressed herself in a skimpy yellow showgirl costume, complete with a headdress of feathers and golden heels.

"I thought I'd dress for the role," she replied with a chuckle as she threw one of her arms out in a dramatic gesture, "Okay, now, we ready?"

"As we'll ever be," Ally, in a card dealer uniform, chuckled as he shuffled a deck of the cards he had taken from upstairs. Ryo and Odori, the waitresses, both revealed metal carts meant for meals, and Fuji smiled with glee as the code for the vault bounced up and down onto the screen, until it stopped on the exact numbers and creaked open.

"Wow…" Ally muttered.

"Okay, now only as much as we can fit into the carts," Fuji advised, "And whatever you can fit down your shirts!"

"Well, we have three carts, so that ought to be plenty," Ryo answered as she began to pile money into the carts along with the others.

When the real guards arrived to change shifts, they were stunned to see imposters stealing money from the vaults. When one when to speak, Ryo pulled a spray bottle from her skirt pocket, and sprayed it in their faces. They hobbled about until they passed out onto the floor, and the six continued, and then led the carts up stairs and through the kitchen exit of the casino.

They met with Heiji, who was already sitting in the car, typing away on his laptop, "Hey, Fuji, nice get up. Big Bird's naughty sister?" he inquired as he glanced upward at Fuji.

"Oh, but I thought you'd especially enjoy it," she replied with a wink. Heiji muttered something under his breath, and went back to work on his laptop, and continued to work on it as Ally and Toshiro threw the bags of money into the trunk of the car.

"Let's get going!" Ryo ordered as she jumped into the driver's seat.

"Ryo-san, that's my line," Fuji reminded her.

"Hey, Bye Bye Birdie, your plumage has got my allergies starting. Lose the duster," Ally said, followed by a sneeze. Fuji removed the headdress, and all started off onto the Vegas strip.

"If you start singing anything from Elvis' Vegas years, I'm going to leave marks so deep in your sides with my nails you'll be bleeding internally for months," said Fujiko crankily to Toshiro.

"Uh… Okay," Toshiro gulped, and started the Vespa up. He followed Fuji and Co. back to the hotel, where they carried the sacks of money up in the guise of suitcases and began the count in the ladies' room.

"Two million's the final count, Fuji," said Ryo as she sat on the floor amongst the stacks of cash.

"Nice! I guess this means someone's getting that Prada purse she's been wanting!" Fuji said dreamily.

"You can afford Prada? I thought no one could," Heiji snorted as he entered the amount on his computer, "Well, I'm dipping into the group fund to buy some new hacking equipment… I'm getting outdated, already!"

"Didn't you just buy hacking equipment?" Yukiko inquired.

"Hacking equipment becomes outdated faster than New York City fashion," Heiji replied, "Well, I think I'll give it a rest for the night… My fingers hurt," he yawned, stretched, and slapped his laptop shut, "Good night, guys."

The Next Morning, at Breakfast:

"WHAT!?" the Lupin gang heard in a shrill yell as they sat seated in the dining room of their hotel room. Heiji stormed out, staring into his computer monitor in horror, "I didn't do this!"

"What's the little tragedy now? Those guys at NerdWorld Computers reject your ideas for coffee mugs again?" asked Odori.

"No, worse!" Heiji answered, "Apparently I sent a virus out to all of the computers in Japan last night."

"You didn't?" inquired Toshiro.

"Hell, no! I knocked out the entire system of islands!" Heiji choked.

"Father's going to be upset. I spoke with him last night, and he's nearly finished that online crossword you sent him," said Odori.

Osaka, Japan:

"Equine? All right, thank you, Jigen," said Goemon as he cradled the phone on his shoulder and glanced back upward at his nearly completed crossword.

"Yeah, now quit running up my damn phone bill with stupid questions about crosswords! You should've learned English a long time ago!" Jigen yelled in response, "Go find yourself a book to help you! I'm having enough problems as it is at home! Ally and Ryo are off, and guess who's pregnant for a fourth time?"

"Oh, congratulations."

"Thanks…" Jigen muttered, "I'm praying for another boy, but she swears it's a girl."

"Don't worry—Little children aren't the difficulty they seem at first. Amaya and I are traveling to Taiwan soon, actually. Some factory workers there have a daughter who they want to send to a Japanese school, so we're looking into it."

"Do you have an ulterior motive, like using them as cheap labor to run your giftshop?" inquired Jigen.

"_Cheap _labor? We have four school plays coming up, six field trips, two school dances, one dentist appointment, three doctors' appointments, a birthday for _twins_, and a violin recital. Please explain where cheap comes in."

"Point taken. I guess I'll talk to you later, seeing as how you've managed to make my phone bill break into three figures over your stupid crossword."

"Well, I'm sorry, but you're the one who runs the bookstore now, not me. I run a dojo/giftshop," Goemon sighed.

"What the hell happened to our lives?" inquired Jigen after a pause.

"Family," replied Goemon as he began to type. As he finished typing in the last letter into the crossword grid, the screen turned black, and a message popped up onto the screen:

__

Your computer memory is no more. Sincerely, Heiji Ishikawa II

Goemon let out a gasp, and fell back in the computer chair, "Hey, hey, what happened?" Jigen inquired, "Goemon, are you all right? Oh, God… Ming, I think he's had another heart attack! Damn it, this is the second time you've done this over the phone, you bastard! What the hell do you expect me to do, magically jump to there from Chicago!? Goemon, are you there!? Are you okay!?"

"Yes… But Heiji will not be," Goemon said through gritted teeth, "I will call you later, Jigen."

"Yeah, yeah… Just don't scare me like that again, all right!?" Jigen demanded.

"Yes," Goemon hung up the phone, and set it down along with his reading glasses on the computer desk, "Haruko!?" he called. A young Vietnamese girl ran down the stairs, and awaited her father's words, "Go find your father a good-sized branch from outside. Heiji must learn a lesson when he returns."

"Yes, Papa," she nodded, and jumped down the stairs, outside to a cherry tree.

Back in Las Vegas:

"Dad's going to murder me—But not before mom," Heiji said with a shudder, "I took away her internet… She'll actually have to listen to the radio shows Dad obsesses over… She's going to go bonkers."

"You'll probably even cause him to take a branch from the cherry tree," Odori added with a slightly sadistic twitch of a smirk.

"You're loving this, aren't you!?" Heiji said, pointing accusingly to Odori.

"In a word, yes," Odori replied.

"You know what, I wish that they had accidentally hit your neck when they cut your hair off!" snapped Heiji angrily, making a quick gesture of slitting Odori's throat as he spoke.

"You looked a lot like Dad when you said that," said a shocked Odori.

"I'm going to go trace this," sighed Heiji, walking back into his room and slamming the door.

"Wow… He actually skipped a meal…" said Toshiro to himself.

San Francisco, California:

"This is nice—You taking me to visit your family," said Leo as Max drove down the twisting San Francisco streets.

"It's my end of the bargain," Max replied as he dodged a pedestrian.

"I think I've learned why you drive like you do," Leo said as he gripped onto the emergency handle and prayed for deal life as Max flew down the road and barely stopped for the stop sign.

"Here's a list of things not to talk about in front of my dad," Max said as he pulled a worn piece of folded paper out of his brown jacket pocket and passed it Leo. LeBlanc unfolded it and read over the list—On the top of the list was typed in bold letters 'LUPIN III'.

"Ah… I guess it makes him kind of touchy."

"More like kind of psychotic," Max grumbled darkly as he shifted gears and slammed on the horn, "Hey, watch it! Damn hippie! Run faster, you'll get your drugs quicker that way!!"

"And, you were almost a rabbi, right?"

"Yeah…"

"You, talking with God. I'm scared," Leo muttered, shaking his head.

After a half-hour of driving through traffic, Leo found himself with a few new gray hairs, while Max remained as vexed as ever. He drove up to a seemingly quiet home; slender, yet with two stories. The garden was well taken care of, and there were various lawn ornaments and wind chimes out amongst the flowers.

"Your mom gardens?" inquired Leo as he looked about at the multi-colored flora and fauna.

"No, Dad. Doctor prescribed it to help him with his 'hyperactivity'," Max answered, "But if you ask me, it was more for Mom, so he wouldn't have to relay stories about his days at Interpol. He hugged me when I found out I got the gig, Leo—He hugged me. Does Koichi Zenigata, the great detective who always almost caught every time Lupin, look like a hugger to you?"

"Well, he sounds like an interesting guy," Leo chuckled, taking out his reading glasses and putting them on as if they would somehow disrupt Zenigata's 'Lupin-dar'. But his buzz cut and loud jacket would be a dead giveaway, he knew. And heaven forbid he laugh—He laughed just like his father.

Max knocked on the door a few times before a woman with light blonde hair tied back in a bandanna answered, "Max!" she squealed happily, embracing him.

"Choking… Choking…" Max coughed.

"Oh, you must be his sister! Pleasure to meet you, Ma'am," said Leo, outstretching his hand.

Natasha laughed, and let go of her death grip on Max, who rubbed the new red spot on his neck, "No, I'm his mother! Max's sister lives in Japan!"

"Oh, yeah! Amaya, right!" Leo said with a well-meaning smile.

"How'd you know I had a sister?" Max frowned.

"I… Must've heard you mention it," Leo shrugged in response.

"Koichi! Guess who came by to visit! Max and L—"

"Leo. Leo LeBlanc," Leo corrected quickly.

"Oh," Natasha raised her eyebrows in interest, "Max and his little friend Leo are here!" she shouted upstairs.

"Mom, you sound like we're going out to play ball," Max grumbled.

Both men heard the sound of footsteps coming from the stairway, and Former-Inspector Zenigata came walking down the stairway, and several shadowboxes of coins in his arms. Zenigata had not become the feeble old man Lupin had joked about him becoming in his elderly years—Pops looked older, including a full head of gray hair, but he was in better shape than any of the Lupin gang, sans a short attention span and hyperactivity (along with fifty years of psychological problems piled up on one another and repressed like a bottled soda, waiting to be busted open). He had ended up getting the last laugh in the end, after all.

"Max! Hey, wondering when you would—" Zenigata looked upward from his cases, and paled as he laid eyes on Leo. Leo coughed and looked downward at a side as he noticed Zenigata's eye twitching.

__

'His brain's probably exploding about now. Boy, do I wish mine was….' Leo thought as he looked down at his feet.

"Dad, are you okay? You're getting that nervous tic again… Do you need some more Ritalin?" asked Max cautiously.

"Koichi, let's go talk," Natasha chuckled nervously, setting down the shadowboxes on an end table and leading Zenigata into the kitchen.

"Did you see who—" Zenigata began.

"Yes, yes… I know… He probably has a good reason," said Natasha.

"Maybe he captured him and wanted to show me! Could you imagine, after all of my trying, my boy finally restores the family honor!" said Zenigata cheerily.

"First off, there's too much damage done to the family honor to repair. Second, do not make any accusations. Listen, and maybe we'll get the full story, okay?"

"All right," Zenigata nodded, and peered back out at Leo and Max, "I hope they're not a couple…"

"Koichi!"

"I'm just saying… Boy liked his dolls a little too much when he was little," Zenigata replied.

"They were GI Joes," Natasha sighed, exasperated.

"They were dolls," Zenigata retorted.

"Now's not the time to argue about trivial things. Just behave, all right?" Natasha asked sweetly, "Please, for me?"

"All right…" Zenigata sighed heavily, and exited the kitchen again. He found Leo and Max in the living room, Leo looking about the photos on the wall while Max sat seated on the couch. Zenigata seated himself in a matching chair, and looked upward wearily, "So… How goes the work, boys?"

"It's great. A partner like your son is hard to come by, Mr. Zenigata," replied Leo cheerily.

Partner. Zenigata shuddered, and continued, "You two actually…"

"Work on cases together," Max finished.

"Ah, cases…. Which one are you working on?" asked Zenigata.

"The Lupin case," replied Leo. Max looked back at Leo with a glare that would've killed LeBlanc had looks been able to do so.

"The Lupin case?" How'd you both manage to get that?" inquired Zenigata. He turned as he heard a smash, and both he and Max looked downward at the broken glass statue on the ground, and a nervous Leo looking downward at the once beautiful blue and white glass kitten.

"Oh… Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," Leo sputtered, "I… I'm just such a klutz! Really, my folks never let me around glass when I was a kid! That, or anything sharp, hee hee…"

Lupin was never clumsy, Zenigata noted as he rose. And what was with the name change, he thought as he looked downward at the glass, "It's all right. I'll fix it later. Just come over and sit down, Kid."

"Yes, Sir," Leo nodded, and seated himself next to Max a little too closely, thought Zenigata with another pang of discomfort.

"I brought tea!" Natasha called out happily as she exited the kitchen with a tea tray, "Oh, and Max, I want you to look at something while we're here."

"Really, what?" Max inquired as he took a sip of his tea.

"You remember that nice matchmaker I told you about?" Natasha began. Max stopped and choked his tea down, and then looked at his mother in disbelief.

"You didn't… You did?" he yelped, "Mom, oh, no…"

"She's picked out a few good girls for you," said Natasha as she seated herself, "Maybe you could meet one or two while you're here. Wouldn't it be nice if Mr. LeBlanc brought someone along, and it was a double-date?"

"I'll pretend that you didn't just say that," Max grumbled, hiding his face with a hand.

"Oh, that's quite all right," Leo chuckled as he sat his teacup down, "I don't date, really. Just not something I like to do."

"You've never been on a date? Never?" Zenigata blinked in disbelief, '_Maybe this guy wasn't related to Lupin, after all!' _Zenigata thought, _'There's no way this used to be the little ankle biter whose first word was 'vodka' and grabbed onto the behind of any girl he could!'_

"No, I had one girlfriend, but if didn't work out. Her brother never really liked me, and her personality was a little strong for my liking…" Leo shrugged.

"You've had a girlfriend? I never knew that," Max said, looking over towards Leo.

"Well, it's not that important, really," Leo shrugged.

"Have you two been able to take in the sights while you've been traveling all over?" inquired Natasha as she sipped her tea.

"No, not really… A lot of our time's taken up by the case," replied Max, "But in our free time, I'm usually reading a book, and Leo's knitting."

"Knitting?" Natasha and Zenigata reiterated in unison.

"Yeah… I, knit…" replied Leo, "I have a quilt in the car! You want to see?"

"That's quite all right," answered Natasha.

__

'Knits, doesn't date… I wonder if his dad even has a clue…' Zenigata thought with a quiet chuckle, which worked itself into loud fits of laughter. He discontinued the laughter as he noticed the three sets of eyes staring at him, and he cleared his throat, "Er, sorry… Just remembered a really funny joke I read on a Popsicle stick yesterday…"

"Must've been some joke…" Leo mumbled.

After an hour or two after more tense conversation, Leo and Max exited the home, Zenigata know convinced that Leo was either a very good actor or not Lupin at all.

"Well, that went well," Natasha said as she turned from the porch back into the home.

"What a freakshow!" Max moaned as he sat back in the chair while Leo drove, "I'm sorry you had to sit through that."

"No, no—Your parents are pretty cool, actually," replied Leo, "You look stressed. What do you say we go get dinner, eh? I heard about a great place in a travel brochure, and I think I can get us in…"

Later that Evening, Lee's Chinese Restaurant/Lounge:

"What do you mean by that?" Leo inquired as he spooned out another helping of fried rice onto his plate.

"I just want to know why you never call your parents, but you talk about them so much," Max responded.

"Well… We aren't on the best of terms. Dad wanted me to continue the family business, but I went off and went to work at Interpol. It kind of sent him over the edge," Leo replied.

"What'd your dad do, anyway?"

"Repo man. Ran a successful chain," replied Leo quickly.

"What about your mom?"

"Not really important…" Leo replied, "Listen, I just don't want to talk about it, all right? I'm sorry, maybe I'll open up someday, but we all just said a lot of hurtful things to one another before I decided to run away…"

"Oh… I had no idea it was that bad…" Max blinked in surprise, "Well, I won't push anymore. How's that quilt coming along?"

"Not bad, I—"

"Phone call for Mr. LeBlanc or Zenigata," said one of the waiters, approaching the duo with a cordless telephone.

"Oh, I'll get it," said Max quickly, "Hello? What!? What do you mean—Where? San Fran—We'll get right on it!"

"What's up?" asked Leo as Max hung up his phone and rose from his chair.

"A virus hit all of Japan last night, and now we're getting reports that Hong Kong's been hit, too," said Max, "The maker of the virus is one Heiji Ishikawa."

"Heiji?"

"Yeah," nodded Max, "They've traced it to a computer somewhere in San Francisco."

"That must mean they're here then!" said Leo with a gasp.

"Of all the rotten luck," Max grumbled, "We better start looking…"

Chinatown:

"Why'd you drag us to California again?" asked Yukiko.

"Because they've traced the computer virus here," Heiji replied.

"What are you going to do with the creep, anyway?" inquired Ryo.

"That's easy—I'm going to kick his ass," replied Heiji.

"Oh, like you could even take out a computer mouse," Odori snorted, "I'm not sure if you remember, but I certainly remember watching you have your ass handed to you by that _Final Fantasy _fan club."

"You're liking my downfall a little too much, and I'm getting sick of it!" snapped Heiji, "You want to settle this right now?"

"Are you asking me to fight you?" Odori blinked in surprise, followed by a long laugh, "Please! I don't fight one-sided battles."

"You're so damn arrogant," grumbled Heiji.

"Can we please find a hotel in peace?" asked Fuji, "You're both making a scene in the middle of a street!"

"The streets are so crowded, who'll notice?" Heiji muttered as he shoved his hands in his pockets and continuing to walk down the streets. He looked forward, and noticed a large parade coming towards them, and it included and large dragon and numerous dancers, acrobats, and other forms of entertainment marching down the streets.

"So… That's why we had to park out so far," Fuji nodded, "Looks like fun. Hey, what do you say we go get some fireworks?"

"Oh, fire!" Ally lit up immediately, "I'm in!"

"Heiji-chan, good ole' Fujiko will take care of your problem. Just keep standing there and looking pretty, okay?" Fuji said to Heiji with a smile.

"I… All right…" Heiji nodded, and wore a look of obvious disappointment.

"I'll find a hotel room; I know Chinese well enough to get a discount," said Ryo, "I'll meet up with you guys later."

"Bye, Ryo!" Fuji waved her off, and immediately wandered into the crowd. The others soon split up, Ally wandering into a fireworks store, Fuji walking towards the parade, Ryo wandering off to find a hotel, Heiji going to sulk somewhere, Odori to find a sword shop, and Yukiko and Toshiro to find a bar. The closest they found was a small seedy-looking restaurant, but they settled for it.

"Poor Heiji…" sighed Yukiko as she walked into the restaurant and seated herself at a booth. Toshiro also took a seat on a creaky wooden booth seat which wobbled when he moved in the chair the wrong way, "I can't help but feel bad for him, you know? I mean, it's got to suck to have someone steal your identity!"

"No, you think?" Toshiro sighed, "I feel just as bad, but how are we to trace someone through telephone cable? It could affect our business as well, though, so I see Fuji's apparent concern."

"So, do we just sit here and let the cops handle this, as much as I hate to suggest it?" inquired Yukiko as she held a hand up for the waiter, who walked over to them. Yukiko ordered a bottle of wine and as well as a basket of egg rolls, and the waiter was off.

"Why is it when we're usually together we're drunk?" asked Yukiko with a wry laugh.

"It helps ease the pain of living," Toshiro replied in a disturbingly depressed tone, leaving Yukiko somewhat perplexed.

"Uh… Are you sure I can't get you some tea?" asked Yukiko after an uncomfortable pause due to her overall shock.

"No, no… Alcohol…" Toshiro answered sternly.

"Is something really bothering you?" asked Yukiko.

"I wanted to ask you something," said Toshiro, tapping his fingers on the table anxiously, "Would you ever consider…"

"Whoops, phone call!" Yukiko perked up suddenly, and pulled out her cell phone whilst Toshiro looked onward, annoyed, "I'll be with you in a sec," Yukiko whispered to him.

"Going out with me…" Toshiro mouthed as he looked away, "I guess not…"

"That was Ryo, she found a hotel," explained Yukiko, "Oh, and you wanted to ask me something?"

"I forgot now," Toshiro shrugged, "Come on, let's get going."

At the Hotel, Later that Night:

"Dori, could you walk down and ask for some extra towels?" Ryo asked, sticking her head out from behind the plain white shower curtain.

"Where on my body does it read 'maid'?" Odori inquired, opening one eye. Ryo had unknowingly broken Odori's meditating, causing the samurai great annoyance, "Fine…"

She stood, opened the creaking wooden door, and walked down the equally creaky wooden steps to the old Chinese man at the front counter, "Hello. I was wondering if I could get some extra towels?"

"Louie!" the old man screeched, making Odori shudder, "Get towels!"

"Yeah, Gramps," Odori heard in a sigh. A young Chinese boy came out of the back room several moments later carrying a stack of towels, and Odori noticed an obvious limp in his walk, "I'll take them up for you."

Odori watched as the boy walked out from behind the counter, and noted he had a false leg. She looked upward at him, and he shrugged, "What are you going to do, eh? So, where are you guys from? Japan?"

"Osaka, Japan, to be more precise," replied Odori, "Thanks for the towels. I can take them from here."

"All right, well, if you need anything else, let me know, okay?" Louis said as he stopped in front of her hotel room door. Louis became wide-eyed as Fuji opened the door, dressed in a nightgown.

"Oh, how cool," he smiled, "Please don't hesitate to call… I'll see you guys later!" he waved, and limped back down the stairs, leaving Fuji amused.

"I don't think he was interested in your personality," Odori smirked as she walked into the hotel room, closing the door behind herself and Fuji.


	17. Mind Games

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Lupin III, but thank God I can at least watch it on Cartoon Network again. P.S.: And I'll be damned if anyone's taking my Rod Stewart poster….

Guten tag,

Once again, not much happening on this side of the lake, but, oh, well—Other than the fact I think I chose the below Beatles song in poor taste, and you'll soon see why. I'm glad that I received a compliment on the 'Return to Cagliostro' storyline, a name I really liked for that arch. I've got a couple of more arches in me, so don't hold your breaths for a finally just yet. Who knows, we might even meet some old faces in the coming chapters… Bwa ha ha… Well, bye, as of now! Hope you enjoy the chapter!

Chapter Seventeen

The Next Morning: Mind Games

__

'Baby you can drive my car,

Yes I'm gonna be a star,

Baby you can drive my car,

And maybe I'll love you,

Beep beep mm, beep beep yeah!'

—The Beatles, _'Drive my Car'_

A hotel room in San Francisco:

"I know this can't be the hotel I was in yesterday afternoon," said Toshiro as he stared upward at the ceiling, "This is about ten times better—I've been lying here twenty minutes with a single rat strolling across my chest." He sat up, and realized he was no longer in his gi, but in a navy blue kimono. Snoring on a couch in a white kimono and fedora lie Yukiko, "Where'd I get this getup? Oh, my head… I need to find something better to do with Yukiko than get drunk every Friday night."

He rose, and nearly tripped over their shoes in the process. He walked over to a table, and slouched down into the seat, "Does she carry Tylenol? Hell, I'll even take Midol right now," he wondered out loud as he glanced over at the table. "I need to buy her a purse for Christmas…" he added. The table was nondescript, save for a single sheet of paper turned over, "Hn… Menu? I could really go for some eggs and coffee right now…" he admitted as he read the menu over. He could not help but notice the lights flickering as he read over the menu, but he shrugged in response and continued to search over the menu.

Chinatown:

"Excuse me, have you seen this group?" Leo inquired, showing a photo to an elderly couple. Both shook their heads in response, and walked onward.

"This is useless," Max sighed as he took the photo from Leo and stuffed it in his pocket, "We'd have better luck finding Pat Buchanan down here."

"Well, might as well get back in the cruiser," Leo sighed and shrugged. Max nodded in agreement, and walked over to the driver's side, which was against a curb on a busy street.

"Hey, get back here!" Leo heard as he walked over to the passenger's seat. He smirked, but looked in horror as he realized what was going on. A woman was in the middle of the road, trying to catch her child—She didn't see the oncoming vehicle, a moving van.

Leo ran towards her before Max could even speak, and Zenigata was at a loss of words as he heard a set of brakes screech and watched a driver jump out to look at the man she had just run over.

"L—Leo," Max muttered numbly, "Oh… Oh, no… Oh, please, Lord, no…"

At the Chinatown Hotel:

"Where're Yuki and Toshiro?" asked Odori as she looked in at Fuji and Ryo, watching television complacently. Both muttered and shrugged, and Odori rolled her eyes, and walked back into the bathroom.

"Hey, hey—Take that back one," said Ryo.

"I hate the news. The footage of me is always from my fat years!" Fuji moaned.

"This just in—There has been an accident in Chinatown, causing a block in traffic. An international police officer was run over while trying to save a woman and child from a similar fate. Leonard 'Leo' LeBlanc, twenty-three and a France native, was listed in critical condition at a local hospital. LeBlanc had been a translator at Interpol until recently. Officials denied to comment upon the accident," said the newswoman.

"Ari," Ryo muttered numbly.

"We've got to get to get to that hospital, now," said Fuji, rising.

"Fuji, what's wrong? Why are you—" Odori started.

"Shut up, Odori, just… Shut up… Please…" Fuji said shakily.

A San Francisco Hotel:

"I dunno… Order whatever you like. I'll probably like it, too," said Yukiko with a flippant wave of the hand as she sat across from Toshiro, who was still scrutinizing over the menu and smoking a cigarette in the process.

"Where do you see yourself in ten years?" Toshiro inquired.

"What?" Yukiko frowned, "Where'd that come from? Did you take my Midol again? It always makes you weird…"

"It's a serious question," Toshiro replied.

"Well… I guess doing the same thing I'm doing now," Yukiko shrugged, "I haven't given much thought to it, you know?"

"You still want to wake up not knowing where you are in the mornings in a decade?" Toshiro sighed, "That's sad…"

"Hey, I don't criticize you!" snapped Yukiko, "Maybe it's the best _I'll _ever do! Maybe shooting at crap is the only thing I can do well! I can't do anything else, it seems."

"You can sing…"

"Oh, woo-hoo. Who wants to hear me? Only the people who can't get over the fact that my mom's dead!" replied Yukiko, "I'm not like you—People just don't go to liking me, like they do with you!" she slumped back in her seat, "The Lupin gang's the best I'm ever going to do…"

"I don't think so," Toshiro answered with a shake of the head, "You could always go and start a family."

"Na-ah. No way, Jose," replied Yukiko with a shake of the head, "Me? I'd suck as a mom. Listen, I just don't want to talk about this right now."

While the argument escalated, Yukiko did not hear her cell phone, which was on vibrate in her pant pocket, "What is it with you and families anyway?" she continued.

"I never really had a normal one…" Toshiro answered, "I grew up convinced that my crazy grandmother was my mother, and that my only older brother was dead. Come to find out, he's alive, and he's my dad. My grandfather used to reenact the Second World War in the back yard, and he had Uncle Heiji and I play the Allies. Do you know how many times I played a Chinese fighter pilot who's shot down in battle? Too many. I just wanted to prove to myself that I could do better."

"Well, look where you are now—The same place I am!" she retorted, "If you thought you could do so much better than me, we wouldn't both be here now, would we?"

"I guess not," Toshiro replied after a pause, "So, you want an omelet?"

"Sounds good," Yukiko answered, taking another cigarette out and lighting it.

At the hospital:

Max didn't understand what was going on. He heard frightening terms like, 'broken this', 'fractured that', 'ruptured this', and even scarier words, like 'brain damage—Permanent', 'paralyzed', 'comatose'. He was glad Leo wasn't awake to hear them.

LeBlanc had been run over by a moving van, full of furniture—The front wheels hit first, then the back. Max couldn't remember seeing the actual accident, but he had heard eye-witness reports. The woman and her child brought flowers, along with their condolences. They were the only ones along with the Zenigata who had shown. Leo had no known family, and his medical records were sparse.

Max had been in the waiting room for about three hours when he heard another set of footsteps. He glared as he saw who it was—Lupin. She was coming to mock Leo, that bitch, he thought.

"Get out, now!" Max demanded, rising and pushing her back out the doorway. Fuji fell to the ground, and looked upward at Max. He gave a small gasp as he saw her eyes were reddened, and she was shaking to some extent, "Why are you—"

"I came here to sit with you," Fuji said sternly, picking herself up off of the ground.

"But, why?" Max inquired.

"I have my reasons," replied Fuji, sitting in on a red cushioned couch and staring at Max, "I've grown attached to you guys, what can I say? It's like with my dad and yours. You know that they keep in touch—But if Interpol knew that, they'd kick you off of the case. I could show them pictures of when your dad walked my mom down the aisle at her wedding, but I won't—Unless you royally piss me off."

"That—That's blackmail!" Max yelped.

"Whatever works, Blondie," Fuji shrugged, "You wanna take a seat? They won't see those photos if you keep your trap shut. The others are downstairs. Ryo had a breakdown on the way here, and Ally's taking her back to their parents' place. She's broke up about it."

"I had no idea you guys cared so much," Max said with a shake of the head as he seated himself next to Fuji.

"As much as you'd hate to admit it, we aren't monsters. We're people," said Fuji, "We look out for one another. I know that you'd love nothing more than to throw us in the slammer, and, hey, whatever works—But we know that you guys are people, too, and I'm no shrink, but I'm related to one, and I'm guessing Leo's your only friend in the world…"

"Well, I… Yeah…" Max nodded, "He's annoying and prissy, and he whines and usually gets us into trouble with his clumsiness… And there's the loud jacket… But he's the first person I've met who's been able to put up with my tantrums."

"And you throw some doozies," admitted Fuji.

"Cigarette?" Max offered.

"No, thanks. I have asthma," Fuji replied, but then stopped herself. So did her brother, she thought sadly.

"I won't, then," Max sighed, and put his cigarettes back in his jacket pocket, "I'm worried, Lupin. I'll admit it. He's in bad shape…"

"What ran him over?" asked Fuji.

"Moving van," Max answered.

"Dear God," she shook her head, "Poor guy…."

"This definitely isn't like the last time we were together, Lupin," Max sighed, "I don't care how confusing it was—I'd give anything to go back there, and not have this happening."

"Amen to that," Fuji muttered, "Jeeze, I thought it was bad when I kissed you back at Cagliostro!"

"Please don't bring that up," Max shuddered, "It was unprofessional, and rest assured it'll never happen again."

"Break my heart," Fuji snorted, "You're probably one of those creepy teens who only got practice from a pillow…"

"Hey, I—How can you joke at a time like this!?"

"It's what I'm good at," replied Fuji with a shrug.

Somewhere in Leo's mind:

"God, my head!" Leo moaned, rising out of bed, "What the hell happened? I feel like I was run over by a truck! Where am I, anyway?" he inquired as he looked about, "Hey, this is my old room, in France! But how'd I get here? And where's Max?"

"Good morning, sleepyhead," he heard with a chuckle, and turned to see his mother in the doorway.

"Mom! What happened?" Leo inquired.

"You fell off a ladder," replied Fujiko as she seated herself next to him, "How's your head? Still hurt?" she inquired as she felt his temperature.

"Mom! I was in Chinatown, and—Where's Max?"

"Hey, he awake yet?" he looked in the doorway once again, and saw Yukiko standing there now, "Quite a tumble you had. Good thing Toshiro was there, too."

"Toshiro? He's living here?" Leo blinked.

"Hello? We're just visiting!" said Yukiko with a smirk, "We go back to New York next week!"

"Hey, what's with the 'we'? You two are seeing one another?" Leo frowned.

Yukiko whistled, "Quite a tumble, neh?"

"Well, he needs his rest—Why don't I go down and help you with Goemon?" sighed Fujiko as she rose.

"Is Goemon sick again?" Leo yelped.

"Um… Goemon, as in my kid?" Yukiko smiled, "As in, your godson?"

"I'm a godfather?" Leo blinked in surprise.

"In more ways than one," Yukiko snorted as she exited the doorway, followed by a worried-looking Fujiko.

"What in the world's going on?" Leo moaned as he slid down into his sheets.

"I knew you'd ask that!" he heard in a familiar voice, and Leo sprung upright in bed, "And that's why I'm here!"

"Dad?" Leo yelped as he looked ahead and saw his father perched on his dresser.

"The one and only—Or at least that's what your mom tells me," said Lupin with a wink, "You probably want to know what the hell's happening about now."

"That'd be a nice start," replied Leo, "This is all so confusing!"

"Well, how do I put this nicely…" Lupin asked himself thoughtfully, looking upward at the ceiling, "You were sort of run over by a van, and you're kinda in a coma now…"

"What!?" Leo screamed, "Sort of? _Kinda_!?"

"Yep. Big van, stupid driver. Failed her vision test, actually. But you saved a lady and kid, something that would make great-grandpa proud of you. Deep down, you're quite a lady lover, yourself," said Lupin as he slid off of dresser he had been perched on, "And now you're in a coma. And a pretty damn deep one, I might add."

"How do you know all of this?" inquired Leo.

"Because in your mind I always have the answers. I'm you conscience—The bad angel," replied Lupin, "It's as simple as that!"

"Who's my good angel?"

"Strangely enough, Jennifer Aniston. But you don't have to worry about her anytime soon."

"So, am I in an alternate universe, in my brain?" inquired Leo.

"Of sorts. Think of me as the Ghost of Christmases that Could have Been," replied Lupin, "You see, this is your world if you hadn't run away after killing that guy. As you can tell, Toshiro came back, and you're the one who got him and Yukiko together finally. It was so nice, I didn't even know you were that much of a romantic! Well, I guess it's genetic… Tee hee… You should've seen Jigen's face when he found out he was going to be a Grandpa—The only other time I've ever seen him that happy was at a international weapons show. And Goemon, my God! He and Jigen were like a couple of school girls, scarily enough."

"What about everyone else?" asked Leo intently.

"Well, they aren't the only ones who made someone a grandpa," Lupin smirked.

"Odori?" Leo grimaced.

"Nah, not yet--Fortunately," replied Lupin, "You."

"Me!? But I don't even date! I just, I can't talk to women!" Leo sputtered in response.

"Ryo was always a little different, though."

"Ryo's my—"

"Well, girlfriend, technically," Lupin replied with a roll of the eyes, "Boy, was your mom thrilled to hear _that _one! Hey, you want to get some octopus?"

"But, Dad, you're allergic! It'll kill you! It'll kill me! I'm allergic, too!" Leo yelped.

He watched as his father picked up a Styrofoam cup of octopus from the dresser, opened it, and began to eat it with a set of chopsticks, "This is a dream world, remember? I can go do whatever I want. Want to jump off of the roof later? I haven't done that since my fortieth birthday, and I only did it then because your mom pushed me out of a window!"

"Er, no, thanks…" Leo responded with a look of exhaustion, "I just want to know how I can get back to the real world, you know, the one where you'd be dead right now, because of the octopus?"

"Boy this stuff is good! Mmm! Oh, yeah…. Um, that's going to take a little while. Right now they're probably getting ready for the—"

Leo suddenly felt a great pain come upon him, and he fell to the ground, clutching onto his spine, "Dad, what's—"

"That'd be the spinal tap," Lupin shuddered, "Those aren't very fun, I should know. I remember one time, your mother and I were doing a heist where I had to go undercover as a patient, and she left me here, and I ended up getting one! Boy, Fujicakes is still quite the little firecracker! I love that woman!"

"Listen," Leo started as the pain subsided, "How do I—"

"Ari, it's going to be a couple of days. Just relax, okay? Think of it as a vacation!" Lupin said as he took Ari by the hand and helped him to rise from the wooden floor, "Now, come on. There's a lot I want to show you."

"Um, I know it's a dream… But it's still good to be home…"

"Yeah, I know… Well, let's hurry—Your mom's making lunch."

"All right," Leo nodded, and walked with his father out of his bedroom.

In Hotel, in the Chinatown:

"Belgium now! And Egypt! There's no pattern here!" Heiji sighed as he laid back on his bed, Odori his lone helper, "How is he choosing his targets? He's just jumping around like a schoolgirl on a hopscotch board!"

"Well, what's he hit so far?" inquired Odori.

"What, you're helping?" Heiji snorted.

"I have an idea. Now, do you have a map?" she inquired.

"Yeah," he nodded, and pulled up a map from another screen, "Here—The targets are numbered. Japan, Hong Kong, France, Germany, Italy, Romania, England—"

"Where was our first heist?" Odori asked after studying the map.

"Why?"

"Where was it? Answer, Brainiac!"

"Well, Japan…"

"And the second?"

"Hong Kong… And the third was France, and Germany, and then Italy--"

"And so on, and so on," replied Odori.

"Dori, you're a genius! My God, I can't believe I just said that…" Heiji shuddered, "Now I'll have a pattern. And I'll be able to track his moves! I just need to figure out where in San Francisco he's coming from, now."

"When will he hit here?" asked Odori.

"God…" Heiji's eyes went wide, "It'll only be a few more stops before here."

"We've got to stop him, then," said Odori, rising, "Lupin is in a hospital, hooked up to machines. If the computers go, then… I'd rather not say… He is still my true boss, even if he's gone astray. Tell me what I can do, Heiji."

"Well, I've narrowed it down to a list of possible addresses," said Heiji, "Here's a printout."

"It's seven pages of nothing but addresses!" Odori gasped as she flipped through.

"I know," Heiji nodded, "I'll start to narrow it down, too. But you can quicken the process by going to some of the places. Keep in touch with me, I'm heading over to the hospital to go tell Fuji."

"All right, I'll get started," Odori nodded, picked up Zantetsu, and was off. Heiji folded up his laptop, and made his way to the hospital. Heiji took a yellow cab down to the hospital Ari was staying at, and with a little bribery, found the waiting room.

"Fuji, I—" Heiji stopped as he walked in and saw Fuji asleep, leaning against an also sleeping Max. Zenigata had removed his jacket and put it over Fuji, Heiji also noted, "I see you're already busy…" he muttered, and looked over to the other side of the room, "Damn it… That's how it is, huh? I bust my ass, and he just happens to be there with a jacket. My freakin' uncle, of all the people in the world."

With that, Heiji turned, and exited out of the waiting room, and out of the hospital.

Meanwhile, Yukiko and Toshiro were across the city, oblivious to the events of the day so far. They had switched back into their usual attire, and now wandered the San Francisco streets with no particular place to be, as far as they were concerned.

"Beautiful day out. Wonder how everyone else is doing…" said Toshiro.

"Probably just as good as we are," Yukiko said with a smirk, "Oh, shooting range!"

"What?" Toshiro looked upward at the sign hanging from the building that read, sure enough, 'Shooting Range—Fun for the Entire Family'.

"Come on, let's go! It'll be fun!" said Yukiko.

"Couldn't we go to the zoo, or the park, or something normal?" asked Toshiro hopefully.

"Nah! Come on, it'll be fun!" she said, leading him into the building. Both filled out waivers under false identification, and were given protection gear, as well as guns. Yukiko handled it like a piece of balled up paper whereas Toshiro treated his more like a newborn infant. The instructor began to show Yukiko how to shoot by placing one out of his six bullets in vital areas, but Yukiko outdid him, and shot six hits, no misses, all at vital parts. The instructor looked onward amazed as she reeled the sheet with the bullet holes back in, and Yukiko smiled.

Toshiro, however, shook with the gun, and dropped several bullets as he went to load the magazine. He unintentionally fired at the floor several times before landing one bullet onto the edge of the paper.

"Well… Not a bad start," Yukiko admitted, "Um… Might want to try aiming for the target, though."

"Oh, and I'd like to see you handle two swords, sometime," retorted Toshiro as he turned his attention back to the paper.

"Hey, my cell's going off!" she said in surprise as she went to retrieve it, "Hello? Oh, hey, I—What do you mean you're at an airport? What!? He… Oh my God, how bad? Wow… Um, yeah… We'll be right there…" She hung up the phone, and looked upward at Toshiro gravely.

"What's wrong?" he inquired, removing his earphones.

"That was Ally. He's taking Ryo to Chicago because she's had a breakdown. Ari's in the hospital—He got run over by a van. He could go either way, right now," said Yukiko, "He's in a coma, currently, but he's in really bad shape."

"My God… Well, we've got to get over there!" he replied, laying his earphones and goggles down and depositing his gun at the front desk with Yukiko. Both exited the seedy-looking residence, and walked back towards Chinatown.

They came back to the hotel room, where they found a particularly edgy Heiji sitting, typing at a computer, "We've got a pattern, and Dori and I are narrowing down hopeful computers. I need you guys to do something for me."

"Yeah, what?" inquired Yukiko.

"I need you to go to these places, and look at the computers, and see if they have this program I've written down here. I don't care how you do it—Just do it. This guy's going to hit San Francisco next, and with Leo in the hospital, it could mean danger if they computers go on the fritz."

"We'll get going," Toshiro nodded, and both took sheets of paper, and exited again.

"I hope Fujiko's having fun with Blondie," Heiji muttered as he crossed another potential off of his list.

A Local Airport:

"Don't worry, Ryo—We'll just take you home for a little bit, and I'll tell you how Leo's doing," said Ally to a silent Ryo, "Ay, um, you want me to put some music on?"

"No, I'm fine," Ryo replied with a shake of the head.

"Um… All right… I can stop and get you a soda if you want…" said Ally with a smirk.

"That'd be good," said Ryo with a nod.

"Okay," Ally smiled, and pulled into a local gas station, "I'll be right back," he said as he took the keys out of the ignition, "Don't go anywhere." Ryo nodded, and watched as Ally walked into the gas station. She quickly slid over in the Alfa Romeo, pulled out a hairpin, and jammed it in the ignition. After some fiddling, it started, and she pulled out of the gas station at full speed just as Ally exited the gas station quick stop.

"What the hell!?" Ally yelped, "Ryoko, come back!" he shouted, but this fell upon deaf ears as she zoomed down the busy highway towards the hospital.

Leo's Mind:

"So, what do you think of the place?" Lupin inquired as he walked around a lake in the back yard with Leo.

"It's nice," Leo admitted, "I like being home again, but, it's not home… I can't stay forever."

"Well, you could, but therein lies the problem," sighed Lupin, "I'm not your dad, Leo—I'm just that little voice inside of your head. You have to make that choice for yourself. I can't do it for you."

"Which voice?" Leo asked sarcastically.

"Ha ha," Lupin said blandly, "I'm just here to show you something you've kept subconsciously in your mind. You always wonder about what could've been, admit it."

"Yeah, but everyone's so happy! Does that mean that I've made everyone miserable by leaving?"

"It could… Or it could mean your self-confidence is horribly low," said Lupin with a shrug, "Do you think you've made the right choice?"

Leo paused, and looked downward at his loafers, "Yeah, yeah, I think I have… I killed someone, I've got to make reparations for what I've done. I did it by translating government documents, and now I do it by chasing after Fuji. I would've have killed him if I hadn't been there. He was an innocent man, just doing his job… And I don't want Fuji to get hurt by running around! I've got to stop her!"

"But you were innocent, too! You were just as innocent as he was! You were just doing what you've been taught to do!"

"Yeah, and if you had done everything Grandpa had taught you to, you'd be a drunk too," snapped Leo.

Lupin smirked, seemingly amused, "Yeah, I went against the old man… We did so well far a while, but, you've got a point… I can't stop you… But you have to realize as much as you try to run, it's going to catch up to you. The past always catches up."

"Then I'll run until they do that," replied Leo, "Dad, I've gotta get back now. There's a certain blonde hothead who needs me…"

"Understandable," Lupin nodded, and embraced him, "Well, hope to see you around the holidays. Hold on, this is gonna hurt a bit."

"What is—Oh my God," Leo gasped, and fell onto his knees.

Back in the Hospital:

"We're getting signs of brain activity!" one of the technicians gasped, "Doctor!" he yelled, and the doctor came running down the hall to the badly damaged Leo.

"What? Mister LeBlanc? Can you hear us?" asked the doctor hopefully as he opened Leo's eyes and shone a small light in them.

It was then the power flickered, and then went out.


	18. Tequila

DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Lupin the Third franchise… Now quit reading this, get on with the story.

Hiya!

I'm not sure if this is coming late or not, but if it is, I'm sorry—Went to an Anime convention this weekend, my first—I am rethinking how much I know about Anime now. There were people who literally lived, ate, and breathed Anime. A lot of wonderful people and wonderful costumes all around—Making for a very happy atmosphere. Seeing Inu-Yasha and Sailor Moon walking down the same hall, it was quite a surreal experience. I'd recommend conventions to anyone who is near one… Well, so much for my plug-in (and I wasn't even paid for it!!) on with the story!

Chapter Eighteen

A Few Moments Later: Tequila

__

'Please don't wake me, no, don't shake me,

Leave me where I am, I'm only sleeping,'

--The Beatles, _'I'm Only Sleeping'_

A San Francisco Home:

"Well, you don't _look _like you're with a church…" said a small boy as he looked upward at the white-suited woman.

"No, I'm with the church of… Saint… Lazslo…" said Yukiko, looking upward at the porch roof, "And, I'm going around, blessing… Computers!"

"Uh-huh," the young boy looked upward at her suspiciously.

"Is that it there?" Yukiko inquired, looking over his head at the back room.

"Get out before I call my Mommy!" shouted the boy.

"No, no, please don't!" begged Yukiko, kneeling down to his level, "Here, uh, here's a dollar!" she pulled out her leather wallet, and retrieved a single dollar bill.

"I saw a twenty in there…"said the child.

"Fine! Dammit!" Yukiko grumbled, and shoved the twenty in his hand, "Now can I see your computer?"

"Two minutes," he replied, and stood aside while she entered. After trying in vain to turn the computer on, she found another dead end. Heiji had come to the conclusion that the hacker's computer must still be in working order, unlike others attacked with the viruses, which would eventually shut themselves off.

"Nothing!" she groaned, and rolled back in the computer chair. Her cell phone rang, and she answered, "Hello?"

"Your two minutes are up!" the boy shouted to Yukiko.

"We've gone through fifty other addresses," replied Heiji, "We're down to half a page. How're Toshiro and Dori doing?"

"Toshiro's about ready to pass out from having to talk with these people, and Dori's probably close to killing someone about now, knowing her…" replied Yukiko.

"They're up!" the boy shouted, "Get out!" he kicked upward, knocking her fedora off of her head. She spun around in her chair, and both she and the boy looked downward at her fedora with the gun poking out of it.

"Gotta go, Heiji," Yukiko clicked the phone off, and shoved it in her white pant pocket. The speechless boy watched as Yukiko picked her hat up, shoved her gun in the hat, and looked upward at him, "Never open the door to strangers, kid." She said, and was off to yet another home.

A different part of San Francisco:

"All right… Last one, Toshiro… Then it's you, a bottle of sake, and a highly attractive Swedish masseuse…" Toshiro sighed to himself as he practically fell on the doorbell of the household.

"Coming, coming!" he heard in a British accent. Toshiro sighed, and leaned against the white and red home, and failed to look upward at the homeowner.

"Hello, would you be interested in learning how to detect computer viruses?" Toshiro asked as though he were simply reading lines from a script.

"Well, no, really, I—Mona Lisa?" Toshiro heard in an astonished gasp. He looked upward, and saw a white male, about twenty years older than him, with blue eyes and a smile upon his face, "You… You haven't changed a bit! Well, save the outfit—And about half a foot in height… And that accent… What's going on here? Who are you, and why do you look like Goemon?"

"Goemon?" Toshiro perked up in interest, "You… You knew my father?"

"Blimey, you're his kid, aren't you? I'm Collin Gilmour, a good friend of your old man's. I… I really admired him—Well, that was after I tried to murder him and/or nail him, but, hey. You want to come in for a drink?" Collin asked hopefully.

"Ur… I don't have much time…" Toshiro replied, looking downward at his sandals nervously, "I have to help Heiji out…"

"Heiji? Who's that, your boyfriend?"

"What!?! N—No… He's my brother," a flustered Toshiro responded quickly.

"Well, what's the trouble there, Dear? Anything an old family friend can do to help?" inquired Collin.

"Not unless you're a computer genius," Toshiro replied. Collin smiled in response, and laughed.

"Well, Mona Lisa Junior, you're in a bit of luck. I happen to be the only person to ever send a virus to Amaya Ishikawa's computer!" Collin crowed happily.

"My mother? You… You crashed her computer?"

"Of course! Enjoyed every damn moment of it—But don't let her know. That will be our little secret, now, all right?" he said with a wink, "Are they still married, by the way?"

"Yes," Toshiro nodded.

"Bloody hell… Oh, well," Collin shrugged, "Come in, I'll get in a pot of tea going, and I'll see what the problem is."

"I don't have much time. A friend of mine's life is in danger," replied Toshiro quickly.

"All right, then. I solve your problem, and then we sit down to some tea. I want to hear all about my dear little samurai, and what he's been up to the past decade or so. Deal?"

"I, ur, suppose," Toshiro nodded, and shook Collin's hand, and could not shake off the somewhat uneasy feeling Gilmour gave him.

The Hospital:

"Get your bony elbow off of me!" Fuji moaned as she awoke. She pushed herself off of Max, and looked around tiredly, "What's going on? Why are the backup lights on?"

"The computers must have gone out here, too!" Max gasped in realization, "Let's hope that he hasn't knocked out the computer systems…"

"You're kidding—They could do that?" Fuji gulped.

"Yeah. Let's just pray that they don't," replied Max.

"I hate not being in control," Fuji grumbled.

Leo's Mind:

"Dad, what's going on? I don't understand what's going on," Leo said to his father, who wore an equally distressed look.

"I don't know, either," replied Lupin, "This could be potentially bad news…"

"Bad? How bad?" Leo inquired.

"Just stay calm and hope this doesn't get any weirder, like a musical number," said Lupin.

Collin's home:

"Ah, here's your problem! This little bugger right here is the cause of all of your problems!" said Collin ecstatically, "Score one for the British team!"

"There? Thank you so much, Mr. Gilmour! I've got to make a phone call!" said Toshiro, rising out of the cushy seat and grabbing his cell phone.

"I'll put that pot of tea on," said Collin, rising from his computer and walking towards the kitchen area.

"Hello, Heiji? I've got an address!" said Toshiro happily.

"What, how!?" asked Heiji.

"This guy Dad used to know—Collin," replied Toshiro excitedly, "He's some sort of genius at computers! He even crashed Mom's computer once!"

"The really gay guy who had that horrible crush on Dad?" Heiji yelped.

"Oh boy…" Toshiro gulped, "I knew I recognized him…"

"Ha ha! Thank God you got the looks in the family—Dad's looks!" Heiji howled with laughter, "Ah, I needed a laugh… Anyway, send that address my way, and I'll get Odori to check it out."

"Yeah," Toshiro nodded, and read the computer address off of the screen to Heiji.

"Thanks a million. You coming back now?" asked Heiji.

"No, I'm staying for tea," replied Toshiro as he looked back at Collin in the kitchen.

"Hee hee… Have fun!" Heiji laughed, and hung up on Toshiro in order to call Odori. Dori was less than amused to hear the news.

"You're officially the world's greatest moron!" snapped Odori over the phone, "And I was convinced I had reached the height of density with Miyamoto!"

"I take it you've missed your nap," sighed Heiji, "Now, will you go get him?"

"Yes, but you're coming, too," replied Odori.

"What? Why me?" inquired Heiji.

"Because that's the address of our hotel!" yelled Odori in her cell phone, causing several people on the trolley she was riding on to stop and look back at her, "_Kuso_ (damn/crap)…." she growled, leaning back in her wooden bench.

Later, at the Hotel:

"All right, you guys ready?" Yukiko whispered as she, Heiji, and Odori stood in front of the wooden door of the computer door, "We don't know how dangerous this guy is, so just back me, guys!"

"Why should I back you? I have the stronger weapon!" exclaimed Odori.

"I can fire before you have time to unsheathe your sword," replied Yukiko. She backed up, and kicked the doorknob off of the door, and ran in with Heiji and Odori, weapons drawn. All they found was the young Louis sitting at his computer, looking back at them in surprise.

"You—You!?" Odori blinked in surprise.

"Who in the hell are you!?" inquired Yukiko.

"Wow… I guess you figured it out then, huh?" Louis said, looking downward at the ground.

"What's the idea? Why were you using my name?" inquired Heiji, livid as ever.

"What hacker wouldn't?" Louis snorted, "You're only, like, one of the best, ever! I didn't want to get in trouble, but I thought you'd think it'd be kind of cool."

"It's not cool, Kid—My dad's waiting for my at home with a switch thanks to you!" Heiji replied, but his attitude calmed as he looked at Louis's expression.

"Heiji, cool it," Yukiko whispered, and put her gun in her belt behind her back, "All right, here's the thing, Kid," she sighed, and kneeled in front of him. "We have a friend who's really, really sick in the hospital—If you don't switch this crap back on, he's going to die. I think you pretty much know how scary a hospital is, by the looks of you."

Louis and she both looked downward at his false limb, and Louis nodded, "Okay, but one condition." he added.

"Sure," she shrugged, and leaned inwards as he whispered it to her. Yukiko blinked several times in surprise, and stood back on her haunches, "Okay. I think I can talk to her…"

"Good," Louis smiled, and turned back to his computer. While he went to switching things back on, Odori looked around his room, which was very reminiscent of Heiji's. He was worthy of the Lord of the Nerds, she thought to herself as she flipped through a photo album of cut out pictures of the Lupin gang.

"This child is just like you, Heiji. Right down to the borderline unhealthy crush on Fuji," said Odori bemusedly.

"It's not unhealthy!" Louis and Heiji snapped.

The Hospital:

Max and Fuji both let out sighs of relief as the regular lights switched back on, and Fuji slid back in her chair.

"What a way to spend a weekend," an exhausted Max muttered to Fuji.

"Amen," said Fuji tiredly. Both turned to the swinging doors, and watched as a nurse flew past them. Fuji and Max both noticed the numerous bracelets she wore, which jingled and shone in the florescent lighting as she passed.

"Wasn't that… Oh, I'm too tired to wonder…" sighed Max.

"Well, you two have managed to wear me out for the week. I see Cancun in my future," replied Fuji as she looked upward thoughtfully.

"Funny, I see you in a set of handcuffs," snapped Max.

"Zenigata, I never knew you were such a pervert," smirked Fuji.

"I'm too exhausted to yell out a retort to that," admitted Max.

"I'm too exhausted to be anymore clever than that," Fuji admitted.

In a hospital room, several hours later:

Leo heard sounds, first. Amongst the sounds in the room were beeping and clicking machines, and the humming of someone—A woman. He could smell a woman's perfume, and grew somewhat nervous. He wondered what she looked like, and if she were his nurse, or an angel of some sort. Had he actually gotten into heaven, after everything he had done?

LeBlanc then opened his eyes, and saw a dark-haired nurse at his side, riding a magazine whilst she hummed. He recognized the humming, and then the bracelets.

"Ry—Ryoko?" he choked.

"Hm? Oh, you're awake!" Ryo sighed in relief, and tossed her magazine aside, "How are you feeling?"

"Like I was run over…" answered Leo, "How—How long have you been here, exactly?"

"Hours," replied Ryo, looking down at her watch, "You pull off a paper dress really well, you know."

Leo blushed in response, and reddened even more as Ryo leaned inward and kissed him briefly on the forehead, "I have to get going, now. I'm glad you're all right, Ari… You had me worried there, Ari-kun."

"Uh, ye-yeah," Leo sputtered, and turned his head to a side.

"Catch you around," she squeezed his hand once, and exited the room, "You can see the patient, now," she said to Max and Fuji as she walked past them and out of the swinging doors. Max and Fuji both stood, and walked into the patient's room, both with flowers that they had purchased in a gift store a floor below.

"Max?" Leo squinted, "Fujiko!?" he added in surprise, and continued to give a puzzled look as he saw how close they were standing to one another. Fuji saw this, and took a side step away from Max.

"Well, look what the cat drug in… Or, moreover, what the cat drug down the road," Fuji said with a smirk, "How're you feeling, LeBlanc? Good? You look like hell!"

"I look just like I feel," Leo answered, "Why isn't she in jail?" he inquired of Max.

"It's part of a deal we've got going," Max replied hesitantly.

"We're on neutral terms due to your illness, Inspector LeBlanc. You know that'd I'm a lady before I'm a bitch!" smiled Fuji, "I hope you enjoy your flowers!"

"Yeah…. Um, they're my favorite," Leo replied as he looked at the vase of purple irises.

"Purple… Figures," Max said with a roll of the eyes, "Well, I've spoken with Interpol, LeBlanc, and we're ready to get you back as soon as possible."

"Yeah, _Leonard_," Fuji snorted, "Jeeze, you couldn't have chosen a better name?"

"Max, could you go downstairs and grab me a soda?" Leo asked tiredly.

"Sure thing, LeBlanc," Max nodded, and was soon out of the private room. When he had left, Fuji kneeled down in front of Leo, and sighed.

"Why do you have to scare me so much?" she inquired tiredly.

"It's my job to protect everyone," Leo whispered to her.

"Not at the price of your life, though. You can't save anyone when you're dead," said Fuji, rising, "I hope this struck some sense into you…"

"Do Mom and Dad know?" inquired Leo.

"Yeah," Fuji nodded, "and they're both worried sick! Boy you can be an idiot sometimes!"

"It's genetic," Leo replied with a weak laugh, "How are you holding up, by the way?"

"Hey, let's not change the subject! You were the one who turned your life into a game of _Frogger_!" said Fuji.

"It's my job to worry," said Leo, "Thanks, Fuji… For still caring…"

"I never stopped caring for you!" replied Fuji, "It's just… Never mind, dammit… Just promise you'll never, _ever_ do anything that stupid again, okay? You've got me so on edge I'm going to Blondie for comfort!"

"That bad? Okay, I'll try to tone it down," said Leo.

"I've got to head out now, but take care," Fuji said, leaning inward and embracing him. She honestly did not want to let go of her grip on her brother, but it was Leo who slowly broke from the embrace.

"Well, until next time," Leo said.

"Yep! Good luck finding me!" Fuji laughed, opening his hospital window and escaping out on the rooftop, but not before she closed the window. When Max returned, he found Fuji gone, and Leo asleep from exhaustion. Zenigata sighed, sat the can down on the table next to Leo's bed, and seated himself in the old faux leather couch in the hospital recovery room.

Collin's House, San Francisco, Later:

"So, what's with the two swords?" Collin inquired as he looked over Toshiro's shoulders at his dual blades.

"It's a technique I taught myself. Dad isn't very happy with it, but I learned a long time ago that the only person I have to please is myself," said Toshiro, "It's late. I must leave now. Yukiko and the others will wonder where I am."

"Yukiko? I remember little Yukiko… She's the little brat I tried to off a while back. She gave me one, right in the face, with those darling little shoes," chuckled Collin, "It was nothing personal, Love. I know you two have been friends for some time now, so I can understand how you feel about now…"

"She's a very strong woman, Mr. Gilmour. She took out an entire bar in Spain…" said Toshiro.

"A bar? Try several bars!" Collin laughed, "The White Devil of Barcelona was quite a quaint little tale…. She sounds just like her father, that Chap with the severe nose…."

"Jigen," corrected Toshiro.

"Hm… Yes… Did he ever get a nose job or anything?" Collin inquired, "And is he still with it with the bloody hat?"

"No and yes," replied Toshiro.

"Damn… He was a bit scrawny overall, but had eyes that could make anyone melt… And that partner of his, Lupin… I've always been one for someone who can speak French… But nothing beat that smile of your old man's. A very Mona Lisa-like smile. I was able to tell right then and there that I was dealing with a heartbreaker, but, alas, poor Collin, sees a pretty face and goes running after it," sighed Collin, "Your dad was only one who never really gave into my charms, come to think of it. Damn shame…"

"I must go," said Toshiro, rising as he spoke.

"My apologies if I made you uncomfortable. I have no bad intentions with you, Dear. I'm not one of those freaks who goes about picking up the latest babe from the cradle," Collin reassured Toshiro, "I just… My partner died a few years back, and I haven't really spoken like this to anyone in since then…"

"Oh, my apologies," the stunned Toshiro replied, "I feel for you… I locked myself away after my girlfriend died… Nearly a year ago…"

"Really? Sorry to hear that," Collin said with true sympathy in his tone, "Well, keep in touch, Dear. Hope to hear from you soon…"

"Thank you for the drinks," nodded Toshiro. Ishikawa rose, and had Collin lead him out of the home back onto the streets, where Collin watched him meld into the crowd.

"My little Mona Lisa returned, after all," Collin sighed, and closed the door to the house.

Later that Night:

"I can't believe you just whored me out like some kind of call girl!" Fuji huffed as she adjusted the straps of her blue gown and looked back at Heiji in a dresser mirror.

"If the shoe fits," Heiji said to himself as he busied himself at the computer.

"What'd you say?"

"Nothing… These are the terms of the agreement, Fuji—Sorry. It's not that bad," Heiji shrugged.

"I'm taking a kid to dance… This is just like the Obon festival," sighed Fuji.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I took Ari to a dance once," she replied with a shrug as she examined herself in the mirror, "He just looked so lonely… He never really had any dates, you know?"

"I would," Heiji snorted. "Hey, why don't you head out now? Kid's probably waiting for you downstairs…. I've got a lot of work to do around here…"

"All right… Well, catch you later!" she waved, and trotted out of the hotel room, leaving Heiji alone with his work. Heiji stared upward at the door, shook his head, and went back to his work. He heard a rapping upon the door, rose, and opened it. He found Odori in the doorway, looking as severe as usual.

"What's up?" he inquired.

"I think I'm doing what's referred to as an 'intervention'," replied Odori, "May I come in?"

"Sure, help yourself. Just don't trail the blood from the corpses you probably devoured for lunch," Heiji answered as he closed the door behind himself and walked back to the bed. He seated himself on the bed whilst Odori found a spot on a cushioned chair.

"I want to know why you are wearing this pained expression nowadays. You look almost like Toshiro."

"What's that supposed to mean?" inquired Heiji.

"It's obvious he lusts after Yukiko, and has for years," replied the deadpan Odori, "And you are beginning to look just like him…"

"Nonsense. You know I look like Mom. And for no blood relation, you look scarily like Dad," said Heiji, whose smile fell as he saw his humor would not help change the tides of Odori's worry.

"Love hurts, but unrequited love is like an eternal curse to a fiery prison… Especially when that person fancies someone else…" said Odori, "You would do anything for the person, and yet they run off in different directions, or more often, show no interest. I have a strong feeling such is the case between you and Fujiko."

"Why is everyone convinced I like her?" Heiji sighed, lying back in bed.

"Well, perhaps I am mistaken," Odori shrugged, "Perhaps it is just a strong friendship you both share… But I'm concerned, Heiji. I know we joke, and I often make threats dealing with your throat meeting my blade, but I am concerned. I owe you a great deal, for you were the one who helped Father to train me in the beginning," she said.

"Okay, what have you done with Odori?" asked Heiji after a pause.

Odori smirked, and looked upward at him, "I figured as much. If you ever want to speak with me, I will listen. But perhaps you should speak with Toshiro… He knows much more about this subject…"

"Uh-huh… Thanks for the advice… Hey, you ever think that you could be Buddha's next incarnation? Wouldn't Mom and Dad be proud! You might even outshine Toshiro as the most successful of us!" said Heiji.

Odori gave a rare smile, shook her head, and walked out of the bedroom, "Poor idiot… If only I could help both he and Toshiro… There must be some way…" she sighed, and walked into her own room, seeing Fuji and Louis walk down the hotel stairs before she closed the bedroom door completely.

She found Ryo there watching a Western drama, but Yukiko was nowhere to be seen, "Where's—"

"Out drinking with your brother… Again," replied Ryo, "I swear… If they spent as much time trying to get somewhere with their lives as they do getting drunk, they wouldn't be in the same place that they were ten years ago…"

Both turned back towards the door as they heard it open, and Ryo gasped as she saw who it was. Ally, looking tired and agitated from a long walk, "Oh my God, Ally!"

"Don't… Talk… It was a long walk…" Ally replied, "I just want to tell you… We're having a long talk tomorrow, about gas station etiquette… Good night, Ryoko."

"Ally, I'm so sorry," she repeated.

"I'm gonna go soak in the bathtub… After riding with the truckdriver I drove with, I need it," he answered with a shudder.

A San Francisco Bar:

"Uno mas!" laughed a red-faced Yukiko to Toshiro. Toshiro nodded, and poured some more Tequila into Yukiko's shot glass, as instructed.

"How many does this make for you?" asked Toshiro.

"Four," said Yukiko. She took a swig of the tequila shot, and set the shot glass down on the table, "Five!"

"Jeeze, I'm only on three!" Toshiro sighed as he looked into his shot glass.

"Hey, I swallowed the worm!" she laughed, looking upward at the bottle and examining the amber liquid. She pushed back in her bar chair and fell onto the floor, and continued laughing, "Oh, oh God… Ha ha! My dad would kill me if he saw me! And if he knew I smoked! Ha ha…. I'd be done for!"

"Here, let me help you…" Toshiro sighed, and slid off of his chair. He bent downward to lift her back up, and she uneasily rose from the floor.

"You two have enough?" inquired the bartender as he watched Toshiro seat Yukiko in a seat and sit down next to her, "How about I call a cab, and he'll take you back to whosever place you two are gonna crash at tonight. But I guess not…" he added.

"Why's that?" asked Yukiko as she took another drink.

"Well, I didn't know you went for married men. It's okay, I see it all the time," shrugged the bartender. Yukiko frowned in confusion until she saw what he was speaking about. She had never noticed it, but Toshiro wore ring on his left hand. She said nothing, but shared a period of silence with him.

"I'm not married," Toshiro explained with a laugh.

"Yeah, you are… You're married to the past," Yukiko sighed, removed a few bills out of her pocket, and threw it at the bartender as she left the bar, leaving Toshiro speechless, "Keep the change!" she shouted.

"You wanna talk about it, Pal?" asked the bartender.

"No, I have to be heading back…" Toshiro replied, rising and leaving his payment as well.


	19. Uptown Girl

DISCLAIMER: Reading this all in one sitting will make your eyes burn… Oh, and by the way, I don't own Lupin III. : )

Hey!

Not much news as of recent, but a million thanks for everyone's support. The positive feedback and support is the main reason this has been going on so long, as a matter of fact. I'm sorry if I'm sounding like some sort of sad drunk with this sentimentality, but it could be the gross sleep deprivation I'm suffering from right now. I won't worry about the lack of sleep unless I start hallucinating, though. In the meantime, enjoy.

Chapter Nineteen

A Few Weeks Later: Uptown Girl

'Well she was just seventeen,

You know what I mean,

And the way she looked was way beyond compare,'

--The Beatles, _'When I saw her standing there'_

New York City, New York:

"Ah, my kind of town," said Toshiro with a content smile as he looked out the penthouse window at the concrete jungle below. He could see his own home from the view provided by the Lupin penthouse, along with quite a few of his familiar stops.

"Wasn't that a song about Chicago, Toshiro?" Fuji smirked as she sat back in an antique retro bright-red chair.

"Hm, I don't care… This city's mine," replied Toshiro as he looked out at the view.

"Yeah, we'll let you show us around the famous pigeon hangouts of New York later, but for now we've gotta get on the road with this little scheme…" said Fuji as she leaned forward and looked over her plans, "Everything ought to be setting up about now…"

The Wardolf Hotel, New York:

"Lisa Walsh, million-dollar heiress and from what I hear million-dollar pain in the ass," said Max to Leo as they both read over the report. They sat in the lobby of the hotel, awaiting their newest assignment. Leo and he sat in the waiting chairs, Leo sporting a white plaster cast on his left arm and a mess of bandaging over his ribs. There was also a brace about one of his knees, making walking a little more difficult than usual, but LeBlanc had insisted he come back to work as soon as possible.

"So, we basically babysit?" Leo concluded.

"Yeah, that and keep her from Lupin. Pretty light since it's your first case back, and you're still in pretty bad shape," explained Max as he looked back to the elevators, "You need anything? Pillow, or more novocaine?"

"No, thanks. I'm trying to hold off acting as giddy as I want to from my pain pills, already. Well, hopefully her reputation precedes her," Leo sighed as he removed his knitting kit and began to work away at a new scarf—A red one that he was convinced his father would love.

"Hey, move it!" both heard, and looked upward at the opened elevator. A dark-haired girl in her later teens exited, wearing a short yellow dress and white-heeled shoes, which matched her belt and headband, and held back her short dark auburn hair. She had a matching yellow leather coat over this ensemble, and a matching yellow and white leather purse. Max approached her first, and cleared his throat as he went to greet her.

"Hello there, Miss Walsh, I'm Maxwell Zenigata, but you can call me Max. Pleasure to serve you," said Max cheerily to her.

"Maxwell?" Leo chortled to himself.

"This is my partner, Leonard LeBlanc, but you can call him Leo," said Max, working his way to Leo.

"Great, a dork and a gimp. Aren't I lucky? I'm sure you can fight off Lupin with your cast," snorted Lisa as she laid eyes of Leo.

"My, aren't you spirited?" Max chuckled lightly, "Now, why don't we go grab lunch?" _Before Leo grabs your throat… _He thought as he looked at the strange glare that Leo gave the girl. He was not afraid of her—No, she was still rather young, so Leo was not frightened. But this was the first time Max had seen Leo give such a look to anyone, much less a young girl.

"All right, where are we going?" inquired Lisa.

"I thought a nice little diner… I heard they shot a scene of _When Harry Met Sally _there…" replied Max.

"Isn't that the movie where she…?" Leo ventured to ask, but trailed off as Max went to catch a cab. He got in the front seat, leaving Leo in the back with Lisa.

"What happened to your arm, anyway?" inquired Lisa.

"I got run over by a moving van in Chinatown, San Francisco," replied Leo stiffly.

"Well, that was kinda dumb of you, huh? I'll bet it hurt," said Lisa as she looked outward at the scenery.

Leo stared at her and silently seethed, and Max caught onto this, and suggested he continue his knitting Leo nodded, and removed his knitting needles as well as scarf.

They arrived at the diner, and Max opened the door for the other two, and they found a seat in a booth in the small eating establishment.

"So, what are you getting?" Max asked Leo as they seated themselves, along with Lisa, who sat next to Leo.

"I'm thinking the soup-sandwich special," replied Leo, "You?"

"Hamburger and fries," Max answered quickly. "Lisa, have you decided yet?"

"Chicken salad, light on the mayo… Considering that appears to be the only edible thing on the menu…" sighed Lisa with discontent. Max twitched a small smile, and Leo went to examining the condiments on the table. The three ordered when the waitress came by, and there was a long period of silence from all.

"So… What signs are you guys? You know, on the astrological chart?" inquired Lisa.

"Gemini," Leo replied quickly.

"From what I remember, I'm a Sagittarius…" replied Max.

"Oh my God, that's so neat! I'll bet you two bicker a lot, huh?" Lisa gasped.

"Um… Yeah… How'd you know?" asked a confused Leo.

"My Mommy writes the astrology column that gets published all over the country," replied Lisa, "You two probably get along on some levels, but there's a lot of arguing."

"Well, that's only because some of us are a little too picky," replied Max.

"And some of us like to rush into things too quickly…" retorted Leo.

"And some of us are compassionate even to the enemy!"

"Hey, I saw how close you were to Lupin when I was in the hospital! I may have been in a coma, but I saw what I saw!" said Leo passionately.

"Are you implying I like her?" demanded Max.

"Well, I'm not implying that you don't like her," Leo replied, taking a sip of his iced tea and looking at Max accusingly.

"Yep… Definitely a Gemini-Sagittarius duo…" sighed Lisa, taking a sip of her soda, "I wonder if they're a couple… Ew…"

Back at the Penthouse:

"Linda Walsh is a famous astrologer—She's been consulted on by presidents, top businessmen, celebrities—And she's right about her predictions nearly always. She's the kind of lady I'd like to spend a weekend in Atlantic City with, basically. It's come to light that Walsh may have learned from a certain book once owned by none other than Nostrodamus," said Fuji as she looked over at the photos and various other bits of information collected by unnamed sources. "Walsh herself is a recluse, but her daughter might very well know where the book is… She's supposedly the only other person who does…"

"But why would her daughter help us?" inquired Ryo.

"If it's one think I am that my daddy wasn't, it's a kidnapper," replied Fuji with a smile, "We won't hurt her, but I think we can talk her into agreeing with us."

"Oh, like how? We're going to torture her why Ryo's boring Westerns?" Yukiko asked.

"Those aren't boring!" snapped Ryo in response, "They're classic. From the way you dress, Yuki, you could fool anyone into thinking you loved Westerns."

"Anyway… Dumb and Dumber are back in action, and they're watching after her as we speak," said Fuji. "We attack tonight!"

"Yeah, and we all know our bits," Ally added, "Can we go now? I have some work to do…"

"Have to call your beloved long distance?" Heiji chuckled.

"Hey, at least I've had a girlfriend," snapped Ally, rising and leaving the others, "I've come the closest to getting married!"

"No, what about Toshiro?" inquired Heiji, pointing to his brother.

"Julie and I had decided a long time ago marriage wasn't for us," replied Toshiro.

"Father would die if he knew you had lived in sin…" said Odori with a twitch of a smirk.

"I'm going to go visit Aunt Kome," said Yukiko.

"I'll go with you—Seeing as how I live there," replied Toshiro, rising and walking out with her. He was glad she had been too drunk to remember their encounter weeks before, but felt badly about it all the same. He had not been too drunk to forget…

They traveled down the busy traffic in his Vespa, and Toshiro smiled as he arrived home; his apartment, his pigeons… What, for nearly fifteen years, he had declared his world.

"Come on, these flowers are wilting," said Yukiko, referring to the flowers she had brought to her aunt. Kome was surprised to see the flowers, and even more surprised to see Toshiro with Yukiko at the apartment building.

"Yukiko, Toshiro! It's so wonderful to see you! You don't call nearly as often as you should, you know," said Kome with a smile very reminiscent of Sakura's. She looked much like Yukiko would as she aged, save for Yukiko's olive skin and eyes, which were completely her father's. "Come on in and have some tea!" she said, leading the two into her home, where there were numerous pictures of both Yukiko and Toshiro, as well as the late Julia.

"What have you both been up to, besides managing to get into trouble?" inquired Kome as she seated herself in the living room. The two thieves seated themselves at a couch to Kome's right, and Yukiko went to glancing through a photo album.

"Beyond that, not much," replied Toshiro with a laugh, "How about yourself?"

"Looking after your birds, mainly. That purple one has really learned to get along with the others," Kome answered.

"Oh, Aunt Kome, I wanted to give you something!" Yukiko smiled, and removed two pictures from beneath her fedora, "Some crazy old guy named Van Buren had me sing for him, and he gave me this picture here of you and him. This one's of me and him! I look just like Mom, eh?"

"Exactly like her," Kome replied with quiet surprise, "Thank you, Yukiko… I'll put them in the photo album when I have the opportunity…"

"Yeah, I was just looking through here, and there aren't any pictures of you and Mom together! Not a one!" said Yukiko. Kome cringed, but not noticeably Toshiro and she shared a tense look, but Yukiko quickly broke this as she went to fetch the brewed tea from the kitchen.

"I can't keep doing this…" said Kome quietly to Toshiro, "I… I have to speak with her…"

"She could hate us," replied Toshiro cautiously.

"I must speak with her. Why don't you go to your apartment while I speak with her?" asked Kome.

"Yes," Toshiro nodded, and left Kome's apartment just as Yukiko walked back in.

"Huh. Wonder where he went off to…" said Yukiko as she looked towards the front door.

"Yukiko… Why don't you have a seat?" asked Kome with a smile, "We… We have to talk… About Sakura…"

"Yeah? What about her?" asked Yukiko as she removed her hat, and smiled at Kome. Kome sighed, and leaned inward and embraced her.

"You remind me so much of her…" Kome wept.

Later, Toshiro's Apartment:

Toshiro shot his head upward as he heard his apartment door open, and looked upward to see a somewhat confused Yukiko, "How'd it go?" he inquired.

"Nice… Um, I had no clue, really…" replied Yukiko, scratching the hair under her hat, "It's, all kind of hard to believe, really.."

"I know, it's all very shocking, but trust me, Yukiko, I'm here for you!" said Toshiro hopefully, "If you want to talk, I'm here! Right here!"

"I… I mean, I never had any clue, but it isn't really surprising, when I think of it…" said Yukiko with a shrug, "I never figured…"

"I know… I was surprised, as well," said Toshiro with a sigh.

"I mean, I just can't believe it!" said a stunned Yukiko, "You dressed up as _Miss Saigon _for a Halloween party!? My God, wouldn't your dad love these pictures Kome gave me!"

"Whay!?" Toshiro yelped, "She told you I—"

"Yeah, and she has pictures, too!" laughed Yukiko, revealing several photos from her jacket pocket, "Dressing up as a woman for kabuki is one thing, what you're doing is plain drag!"

"Oh, God, please don't show my Dad! Oh, God," Toshiro held a hand over his eyes and moaned as he saw the photos, "I can't believe she… Yuki, we're friends, and you'd never show Dad, right? I—I mean, it's bad enough I have an accent, use two swords and dress in suits sometimes—This'll send him over the edge for sure!"

"Well… It all depends…" said Yukiko with a sly smirk, "I think we can come to some agreement…"

"Are you blackmailing me?" he yelped.

"I'm thinking we start with dinner… Nice place—Oh, I could really go for seafood. And not one of those seedy sushi bars they probably know you in…. I'm talking nice," said Yukiko, "One of those joints where a jacket and tie are required, and they have a piano."

"What?"

"Hey, don't worry, Pal! You could always borrow one of my ties!" Yukiko laughed, "I'm going to go raid your minibar. I saw wine of quite a good vintage, if I'm not mistaken…"

"If I didn't consider Kome such a mother-like figure in my life…" Toshiro said to himself as he clenched his fists to the point where he was nearly shaking.

"Hey, where do you keep your wineglasses?" inquired Yukiko.

"Just drink from the bottle! That's what you do half the time, anyway!" Toshiro shouted in return.

"My God, you know me like a book, eh?" Yukiko chuckled as she popped the cork and took a drink from the bottle.

In the Diner:

"Good Lord… She ordered the most expensive thing on the menu," Max said as he looked over the bill, "Hey, should I leave fifteen or twenty percent?"

"If I were talking to you I'd say fifteen," snapped Leo in response, "After all, it took four minutes to get a bottle of ketchup in this place…"

"Are you still upset with me?" Max inquired with a heavy sigh.

"No, I'm ignoring you because I enjoy it! And I'm actually starting to!" replied Leo.

"Could you at least help me out a little? What's fifteen percent of thirty-five?"

"Thirty-five?" Leo choked, "That'd be five dollars and a quarter!"

"All right… How much will you throw in?" asked Max as he pulled out his wallet. Leo humphed, and laid down a quarter, "You can be such a little bitch at times…." Max said towards Leo in a grumble as he laid down a five-dollar bill, "Speaking of people who are annoying me, where's that kid?"

"She went to the bathroom," answered Leo.

"But that was about ten minutes ago," replied Max, looking down at his watch.

"Believe me—Between my mom and my sister, ten minutes in the bathroom was a minimum," replied Leo, "Although… I've got one of those strange feelings…"

"Heartburn? I told you to lay off of the mustard…"

"No… Like everything's going too well, too early on in this case…" replied Leo as he looked into his iced tea.

"Well, we could go check…"

"What? Me, go into a women's restroom?" Leo flushed, "M-Max, you can't be serious!"

"Hey, you told me yourself you grew up with a sister and mother," shrugged Max as he rose, "Let's just go check it out… I'll go in, and you can cover for me, okay?"

"Sounds good," Leo nodded, and rose from the booth with Max. Both made their way towards a small hallway, where the bathrooms were located. Max was the first to go in, sending several screaming women right into an embarrassed Leo.

"Dammit!" Max yelled.

"What's up?" inquired Leo, sheepishly sticking his head in.

"She's gone!" Max yelled, kicking open one of the swinging stall doors, "They got her!"

On the Road:

"You're going to have hell when my Mommy hears of this!" Lisa shouted, "They'll put you all away for good!"

"Can someone duct tape this kid's mouth shut? She's pretty annoying…" Ally muttered.

"Yeah? Well at least I don't look like a mop!" snapped Lisa.

"Miss Walsh, I'd suggest you quiet, or you can rely on Heiji being the one to watch over you…" said Fuji.

"The dork with the thick glasses? Ew," replied Lisa.

"It's my teen years all over again…." sighed a discontented Heiji sorrowfully.

"What do we do with her now, Fuji?" asked Ryo in a whisper.

"Make sure no one kills her… Because these three look ready to do the job," replied Fuji as she looked at the irritated Ally, Odori and Heiji, who all gave death looks to Lisa.

Later that Evening, the Hotel:

Fuji had yet to return with their latest steal, but Yukiko and Toshiro had made a trip home to prepare for the evening, "I can't believe I have to do this… My best friend, blackmailing me! What's this world coming to?" Toshiro asked himself in a sigh as he finished tying his tie in the mirror. He took a few steps back, and pulled his hair back with a rubber band he had brought along, "These shoes are going to kill me…" he grumbled as he walked out of the men's room and into the hall. He knocked on Yukiko's door, and sighed as he looked down at his watch.

"Yukiko, we'll be late…" he said, continuing to knock on the door all the while.

"Well, I'm ready," he heard, and stared in shock as he saw the figure before him.

She had an olive complexion, with dark hair piled upward in an intricate fashion. Along with this, she wore a strapless white evening dress, and matching shoes, with low heels, "Borrowed it from Ryo," she shrugged.

"Wha—What's the occasion?" Toshiro ventured to ask.

"I wanted to prove that I can pull off a dress better than you can," replied Yukiko with a shrug, "C'mon, let's get going…"

"Mission accomplished… You don't wear makeup?"

"Nah—Could never figure out how to put that stuff on…. I'm lucky I can walk in these shoes! Thank God I found a pair with such a low heel!" Yukiko smirked, "Come on, Toshiro. Oh, hey, I wanna go by the neighborhood my dad grew up in when we get time…"

"I always thought Jigen was from Chicago."

"Born in Ise, flew to Chicago, lived there for about a year, moved to New York, went into the military, moved back to Chicago, met up with Lupin, traveled all over, lived in Japan again, then Australia, traveled with Lupin, retired, moved to Cicero, owns a bookstore," replied Yukiko. "We had a lot of kill time waiting for targets when I was growing up," she said with a shrug and a smile, "He told me about a lot of stories when I was little…"

"Oh," Toshiro nodded, "I ought to ask my dad about where he's lived sometime… I know Osaka, for the most part, and Hong Kong for a little while—And Mom lived in Tokyo then Germany then Osaka…"

"Ah, well—The past is the past," Yukiko shrugged, "Let's go hail a cab… No way am I riding in your tin can in this getup."

"You should wear dresses more often," said Toshiro as they walked out to fetch a cab.

"What? That's pretty damn impractical!" Yukiko replied, "I mean, I don't get why Fuji wears a dress all the time—It's probably because she relies on her looks so much… I just rely on a steady trigger finger—And a steady partner to watch my back."

"Me?"

"No, Lou Ferrigno—Of course you!" sighed Yukiko as they walked out onto the streets, "You hail it. You're taller."

"Yo, taxi!" Toshiro shouted, and waved his arm out to catch a cab. One pulled up to them, and Toshiro opened the door up for a surprised Yukiko. They both climbed into the cab, and Toshiro ordered the driver to a restaurant he had heard of in a newspaper.

"Hey, what's that on your finger?" Yukiko inquired, looking downward at his hand.

"The chain broke to it… I used to wear it on one…" replied Toshiro, thinking back to the night when Yukiko had shouted at him in the bar.

"Hey, isn't that the ring I gave you?" she gasped.

"Yes," Toshiro nodded with a smirk, "I'm getting a new chain, soon. I've just been busy."

"Oh," she smiled, "I still have that dagger you gave me. Actually shot a guy in Spain who stole it."

"How bad was he injured?"

"Bad enough to fill a grave plot," Yukiko answered, leaving Toshiro stunned.

At the Hotel:

"Let me go already!" Lisa snapped, breaking out of Heiji's grasp, "I can handle myself, thank you! I don't need your grubby nerd hands all over me! God only knows what you're thinking!"

"I've thinking of shutting your mouth with electrical ape," Heiji grumbled, "I've dealt with world powers less difficult than you!"

"Good to know," said Lisa. Odori opened the door to the women's room, and Heiji shoved her inside. Fuji, Ryo, and Odori followed her in, and Ryo closed the door, giving a pained look to Ally and Heiji before she shut it completely.

"Now what?" Odori inquired as she looked down at Lisa, who now sat glaring up at the others with great disdain.

"We wait," replied Fuji.

"And you plan on keeping me from murdering her… How?" asked Ryo.

"Perhaps we can turn on the television… That may keep her busy…" said Odori, "Hey, where the hell did she go?" she inquired as she realized Lisa has vanished. Ryo and Fuji looked about, and finally found Lisa in a walk in closet.

"Oh my God, this is adorable!" gasped Lisa.

"She's going through my clothes… And I also notice my white dress missing," said Ryo, suspiciously looking towards Fuji.

"I didn't take that! The busts of your dresses are too small, Ryo-san!" replied Fuji.

"Hey, whose hats? They're _so_ Britney Spears!" said Lisa and she poked her head out, one of Yukiko's white fedoras over her eyes.

"Fuji, as my employer, I shall ask for permission to commit honorable suicide," said Odori.

"Permission denied," said Fuji, "Keep the brat busy. I don't care how—Just do it. And try to find out where the hell Yukiko is in the meantime!"

"Where are you going?" Ryo inquired.

"To go find a muzzle that'll fit our guest," Fuji said to herself as she exited the hotel room.

In a New York Restaurant:

"You've only had one glass!" said Toshiro in surprise, "And we're over halfway done with the meal! Are you all right?"

"I know. I actually want to stay sober tonight," said Yukiko as she commenced to cutting up her steak, which lied on her plate along with shrimp and steamed vegetables. Toshiro had gotten a sushi platter, along with Japanese soup.

"You must be ill," said Toshiro with a smirk, "That, or pregnant."

Yukiko choked on her wine, and chuckled, "Yep, bingo. You're an uncle. It's twins."

"You're joking, though, right?"

"Of course," replied Yukiko, "I'd shoot myself in the foot before I had a kid!"

"I said the same thing, you know," said Toshiro.

"Hm… Sorry, I just don't like kids," Yukiko said with a shrug, "Just a matter of personal opinion. You can like them all you want—I don't care! They just annoy the hell out of me!"

"I suppose," Toshiro sighed, and ate the rest of his meal in relative quietness with Yukiko. After dinner, the two found themselves in a cab, with the same relative quietness, and then Toshiro's apartment complex, walking side by side.

"You know… I did have an ulterior motive to what I did…" sighed Yukiko, "I hope you'll understand everything I have to say… Let's get inside, first…"

"Sure," Toshiro nodded, and led her into his apartment, and watched as Yukiko seated herself in the living room. Toshiro seated himself across from her, and smiled. She wanted to speak with him? Perhaps the talk about children had been a ruse, just to scare him. Yukiko enjoyed such things, after all.

"I'm not stupid," Yukiko sighed, and closed her eyes, "And I hope I'm not reading this the wrong way… But… I've got to tell you now, just to get this out of the way…"

"Yes, what?" asked Toshiro, seating himself on the edge of his chair, "What's troubling you, Yukiko?"

"I'm not… I want to be friends."

"But we are, aren't we?"

"Yeah… But I want to keep it as friends… Permanently…" said Yukiko, looking downward.

Toshiro laughed, and sat back in his chair, "You think I?…"

"You don't? Crap, I'm such a friggin' moron! I knew I was reading too much into this!" Yukiko sighed, "I just was hoping you weren't holding onto the image of when we were kids, and you used to kiss me at times. I don't want a relationship now, or in the future, from what I understand."

"Is it because of Hector?" Toshiro ventured to ask. Yukiko's head shot up in surprise, but she chuckled, and shook her head.

"That's part, but it's other things, too," replied Yukiko, "I feel stupid now! Here I was, thinking, and—Ha ha! Guess I wasn't thinking! Well, we'll have that out of the way in case of future reference, eh, Buddy?"

"Yeah," Toshiro nodded.

"I'm going to get back, now, okay?" Yukiko rose from her seat, "I'll see you at the hotel. Bye, Toshiro!"

"Yeah, bye, Yukiko," Toshiro waved her off, and his shoulders drooped as she exited. She had not seen how her words had gone through him like a knife, and he felt like throwing himself out of his balcony—She did not see this because she chose not to, and he did not show this because he chose not to. Toshiro managed this because he was an actor. On the inside he appeared calm, but on the inside, he felt like his best friend, whom had laughed the entire time during the murder, had killed him.


	20. Young Girl

DISCLAIMER: No, I do not own Lupin the Third, but if anyone is interested into turning this into its own series, I can be paid in the form of three boxes—One full of diet Pepsi, one full of Snickers bars, and one full of kittens, because kittens are not only adorable, but delicious, too.

I so friggin' wish that I had just 'misplaced' the rights to Lupin,

Maybe I should check my sock drawer? Eh, well. I'm so glad with the positive response I've been getting from this story, and I'm sorry that I seemed to kill people's dreams of Yukiko and Toshiro getting together in the last chapter. Well, who knows where the road will lead, right? Read on, and find out. P.S.: Special thanks to everyone who's cheered me on with this project. You guys know who you are, and you all freakin' rock.

Chapter Twenty

The Next Day: Young Girl

__

'But it's so hard loving you,

is it right that you and I should fight

every night?'

—The Beatles, _'It's Only Love'_

A Hotel in New York:

"Um… Who is this?" inquired Yukiko as she walked into the hotel room and saw Lisa in one of her suits, modeling in front of a mirror.

"This is Lisa—Lisa, this is Yukiko," said Fuji with a twitching smile, "The lady who owns the suits you like so much…"

"I'm gonna change," sighed Yukiko, "I feel like I'm in the movie _Single White Female _looking at this kid…"

"You took my dress?" Ryo said with confusion, "Why?"

"I had to take care of some business," replied Yukiko, walking into the bathroom.

"Well, did you take care of it? Was he cute? Does he have a brother?" asked Fuji hopefully.

"Yes, the second question I refuse to answer, and yes, but you wouldn't like him," answered Yukiko from the bathroom.

"Well, come on, give us some details already!" said Fuji with a smile.

"What are you, eight?" Yukiko snapped, sticking her head out of the bathroom doorway, "Nothing that your sick little mind would find appealing happened, okay!? It was just dinner with a friend! That's it!"

The door to the hotel room opened, and a surprised Yukiko slammed the bathroom door. Lisa stared in surprise at Toshiro, who stood in the hall of the hotel, "Is Yuki around?"

"She's currently occupied," replied Odori with a smirk, "Why are you in a suit?"

"She and I had dinner tonight," answered Toshiro.

"I need to get a candy bar from downstairs," said Lisa quickly with a smile.

"Okay, I'll go with you," said Ryo, laying down the remote to the television on the table and rising from the recliner, where she had been watching a black and white cowboy western on cable.

"No, I want him to," said Lisa, sprinting out and closing the door behind the three stunned women.

"Uh-oh," said Fuji, glancing over to Odori and Ryo.

"I smell trouble on the horizon," added Odori.

Toshiro looked puzzled down at Lisa, who was smiling as they walked to the elevator together, "So, you're with them, too?" she asked with a smile.

"Uh, yeah… You must be Lisa, I take it," replied Toshiro, uneasy with the relative closeness of Lisa.

"I can't believe it! They're all such dorks! But at least a couple of them know how to dress," said Lisa with a sigh, "I guess you're here so I don't escape!" she added with a laugh which made Toshiro uncomfortable.

"Uh… So, how old are you, Lisa?" asked Toshiro.

"Turned twenty a little while ago…. Nearly six months… My mom was convinced it was my eighteenth, though. She's so breezy!" answered Lisa, "How about yourself, huh?"

"I turned twenty-nine a little while ago," admitted Toshiro.

"Wow, you're nearly, like, thirty! And you're not married!?" Lisa gasped.

"Almost was," replied Toshiro darkly. The elevator doors opened, and Toshiro stormily stepped out, and walked to the vending machines with Lisa. Lisa continued her non-stop speaking while surfing through the vending machine selections.

"Well, what happened, huh? Was it her, or you?"

"She died," Toshiro snapped, "Listen, I'm not having a very good night, all right? Could you please just make your choice so we can get back? This is seriously cutting into my sulking time."

"All right. What do you think of this one?" Lisa inquired, pointing to a candy bar.

"I hate chocolate. Just get it," replied Toshiro.

"Hey, there's an ice cream place still open! Could we go, please? My mom never, ever lets me go to those places! She's into that low-carb crap!" said Lisa with a smile, "Come on!" she grabbed Toshiro by the arm, and pulled him out of the hotel, to an ice cream parlor across the street.

"What are you getting?" asked Lisa as they stepped into the establishment.

"Strawberry," answered Toshiro, "You?"

"Chocolate," Lisa added with a smile whist Toshiro looked downward at his watch with painfully obvious boredom. He had not been in an ice cream parlor, more or less eaten ice cream, since Julia had passed away. It was the one staple they always had at home; there would be no bread, no rice and no eggs—But always ice cream.

The two ordered, and seated themselves at a table towards the back of the parlor. No one recognized the missing Lisa in Yukiko's white fedora and suit, so the duo went unnoticed.

"So, what sign are you, anyway?" inquired Lisa.

"Taurus," replied Toshiro after a pause.

"Oh, we'd get along great, then!" gasped Lisa excitedly.

"I don't believe in astrology, all right? There's no proof behind it at all, and it leads people into false hopes much too often," replied Toshiro.

"Are you always so crabby?" asked Lisa.

"No… I… I'm just thinking of a great many things right now…. My head's very clouded," replied Toshiro.

"You can tell me about it, if you want," said Lisa with a hopeful smile.

"No, thank you," answered Toshiro. He gasped in realization after a few moments, "I forgot my ring at my apartment!"

"Oh, can I go with you? I've been cooped up in hotels all week!" said Lisa hopefully.

"Well… All right… I hope you like bikes, though," replied Toshiro, rising from the table and walking out with Lisa.

The Next Morning:

"He still isn't picking up… I hope that bastard didn't go and return her! Friggin' bleeding heart!" said Fuji, pacing back and forth wildly while Ryo an Odori looked onward. Yukiko was still asleep on her bed, snoring lightly.

"That'd be totally out of character for Toshiro," answered Odori, "I know him. He's my brother, after all."

"Well, if you know so damn much, where is he!?" inquired Fuji, spinning on her high-heel towards Odori.

"Hey, guys, have you seen Toshiro?" Heiji asked as he stepped into the women's room with Ally leading behind.

"Maybe he got caught in a subway… And by caught in, I mean between the wheels," Ally chuckled, "Probably tried to save a stupid pigeon and fell off of a building… Hee hee…"

"I don't know, and Lisa's gone, too!" said Fuji worriedly.

Toshiro's Apartment:

"Why am I here?" Toshiro inquired as he opened his eyes and looked about his apartment walls. He rose, and looked over in a chair, where a white suit lay, "Yukiko?" he blinked in surprise, "Did, did my talk go that well?"

"Not quite," he heard, and nearly fell off of his bed as he laid eyes on Lisa. She laughed, and smiled widely, "Good morning, Sweetie! Sleep well? You're so cute when you're talking in your sleep!"

"What happened last night?" inquired Toshiro, his eyes wide in surprise.

Lisa continued laughing, but said nothing. Toshiro moaned, and held his head in his hands. "I couldn't have… Dammit, I'm so stupid!" he added, looking over at his ringing cell phone with Fuji's number on the screen. He went to reach for it, but Lisa stopped him.

"Hey, no rush, right?" she said with a smile.

The hotel room of Max and Leo:

"Yes—Yes, Sir," Max said sheepishly to the Chief, who for the past twenty minutes, had blasted nothing but insults to LeBlanc and Zenigata. He had even threatened to assign them to writing traffic tickets if they did not retrieve Lisa soon, "A—All right… Good-bye…"

"What's up?" inquired Leo from his place on the bed, where he sit amongst a castle of books.

"We find the girl, or we're writing traffic tickets in New Zealand," replied Max with a heavy sigh.

"Oh, it's only a couple of million people—We'll be sure to find her," said Leo, "Is it just me, or are you somewhat glad she's gone?"

"Yeah, I know," sighed Max, "But we have to put our feelings aside."

"I hate girls like her. Phony rich girls, who think they can get away with anything," said Leo darkly with an expression Max had never seen him wear before. It frightened Zenigata to some extent.

"Time for your medication!" Max said suddenly, rising and walking into the bathroom, "Now you know what the doctor said—Three of these twice a day, one of these four times a day—And one of these with each of your meals."

"I don't trust you with numbers," Leo replied bluntly, taking his bag of medication from Max and going through his medicine, "I know better than to."

"Hey, I might not be good with math, but I'm the ultimate Jewish Mother," Max answered.

"I know… Eck, I hate this medicine! Can't wait 'til I'm off it! Tastes like cod-liver oil…"

Max smirked, and took the medicine bag from Leo, "Come on, we have to start looking for clues!"

"Oh, but they're playing _Sister Christian _on the radio," sighed Leo with discontent as he rose and hobbled out with Max at his side. "Where should we start looking?" asked Leo as he seated himself next to Max, who drove the vehicle in the busy New York City traffic.

"The ritzy hotels. That's more to Lupin's liking," replied Zenigata.

"Oh, that narrows it down," snorted Leo as he looked around at the two hotels within walking distance, and the many others beyond those.

The two drove off from their starting point in search of Lisa, never knowing that in the apartment complex two blocks down from their hotel, Lisa was exiting Toshiro's apartment, with a highly nervous Ishikawa tailing behind.

"This is the best kidnapping ever!" Lisa said cheerily as she climbed onto Toshiro's Vespa with the samurai.

"It never happened," Toshiro said sternly.

"But—"

"It… Never… Happened…" Toshiro repeated, "I was in a very bad mood last night… If it had been a regular day, I would've never even considered…"

The two drove back to the hotel, Toshiro passing by an unknowing Max and Leo along the way, and the samurai slowly dismounted his bike, whereas Lisa hopped off. It had been a long ride for Toshiro, and the elevator ride was even longer. But the day would be the longest of his life, he had the feeling.

"Where in God's Green Great Earth were you!?" Fuji demanded as Toshiro walked in, Lisa practically skipping behind him. Yukiko, who had since awoken and gotten dressed, cocked her head in confusion as she looked at Toshiro's worn expression.

"It doesn't matter," replied Toshiro, turning and exiting into his hotel room. Yukiko jumped off of her bed, and followed him into the hall. She was extremely curious about he expression he wore.

"What's up? You okay?" asked Yukiko.

"I… I did something I'm really beginning to regret," replied Toshiro.

"You want to talk about it? Come on, you can tell your best friend!" said Yukiko with a smile, draping an arm over Toshiro's shoulders. She gave a hurt expression as Toshiro shrugged her off and turned away from her, "Hey, what's that for? What's up, Buddy?"

"Lisa and I…" Toshiro took in a sharp breath. How would he explain this to her? "I forgot something at my apartment last night, so I took her back with me…. And things got out of control… And before I knew it… I…" he spun around, and looked at Yukiko pleadingly, "Yuki, it was a mistake, honestly! I didn't mean to!"

"You…?" Yukiko gulped, "Wow… Hey, ha ha, good job! It was just what the doctor ordered, eh? Hey, I've gotta go down and fetch some ice. Why don't you just chill—You look spooked!" she smiled, but as she turned, the smile quickly turned to a scowl.

Chicago, Illinois:

"This damn kitchen's so hot!" Ming muttered as she opened the oven in the family kitchen and pulled out a batch of muffins. She slammed the door, and turned around to face Jigen, who was leaning against a wooden cabinet.

"Maybe you should unbutton your shirt a little then, huh?" Jigen said with a hopeful smirk as Ming lied the muffins down upon the island counter.

"Get real," Ming snapped in response, turning about to face Jigen, "I'm expecting, remember? My feet are bothering me, and I'm starting to show my pregnancy, too! I look like a friggin' whale!"

"But a beautiful whale," Jigen replied with good meaning, realizing too late his choice of words, "Wait, I… I meant it as a joke!"

"Twenty years…. We've been married, nearly twenty years… And you still don't know how to talk to me!"

"You know I meant well!" Jigen said with a nervous smile, "Come on!"

"At least I haven't gained as much weight as you have…" muttered Ming as she went to removing the muffins from the tray.

"What!?" Jigen yelped, "What's that supposed to mean!?"

"Come on—There's no way in hell you could fit into the same pants you wore twenty years ago!" Ming snorted, "You like baked goods way too much for your own good… I know it's not the dog eating all of those mini muffins!"

Jigen balked, and went to answer, but the phone rang, and he lunged for it, "Hello!?"

"Daddy?" he heard on the other end of the line. Jigen let out a heavy sigh, looked towards Ming a moment, and walked out of the kitchen, into the study.

"Hey, Yukiko, what's up?" Jigen inquired, seating himself in a cushy chair and looking outward at their front lawn.

"Toshiro's a jerk and I should shoot him and he and every other man on the face of the planet can just kiss my Mafia princess ass and I can't believe he did that and he's such a little slut it's not even funny and I'll bet he'd even go with Max if he were drunk enough and I should just go back upstairs right now and strangle him because he's such a friggin' little man-whore and I hope he crashes his little Vespa into a ditch and breaks his neck and I friggin' HATE HIM!" yelled Yukiko into the receiver, causing Jigen to retract in horror.

"Um…. A—Are you out of Midol again?" inquired Jigen.

"It's nothing like that!" screamed Yukiko loud enough for Ming, who was only entering the room, to hear, "Dad… I…"

"All right, Yukiko… Just calm down, and explain what happened," sighed Jigen tiredly, motioning for Ming to reach into the minibar and hand him his bottle of scotch. She ran over, tossed it to Jigen, and Jigen quickly unscrewed the bottle, and took a long swig.

"You know that girl… That Fuji kidnapped?"

"Oh, yeah. Her Old Man ain't too happy about that," Jigen chuckled as he took another swig.

"Toshiro took her back to his apartment and… Well, you get the picture," sighed Yukiko, "He's such a creep! She doesn't even know his damn name, Dad! Little whore…"

"Wow? Toshiro did that?" Jigen said with surprise, "Well, Yukiko, why should it bother you, huh? I mean, it's not like you like him, do you? B—Because if you do, I can arrange something with Goemon…"

"Dad, NO! For the last time, I do _not _want an arranged marriage!" snapped Yukiko, "I always just thought he was better than that! Apparently, he's just another idiot man who thinks with something else before his brain!"

"Hey, hey! That's a little personal, now!" said Jigen, leaning forward in his chair, "I can assure you, not all men think with their pants before they think with their brains!"

"Oh, yeah—That's why someone ran off with a Spanish dancer in a sportscar," said Yukiko lightly, "Or shall I remind you of the dozen other times you've screwed up by falling for a pretty face, including my mother and stepmother…"

Jigen paused, and cleared his throat, "I, um… Hey, it's not like you've never, right?"

"Not as often as some of us have," replied Yukiko in a mumble.

"Yukiko… Why don't you just talk it out? If you two are such great friends, he'll understand!" explained Jigen, "Tell you what—You go talk it out, and I'll wait here. Call me when you're done."

"Well… Okay," Yukiko sniffed, "Talk to you later, Dad."

"Yeah—Talk to you later, Yuki," said Jigen. He hung up on Yukiko, and dialed another number a few moments later, "Hello, Goemon?"

"Jigen! To what do I owe the pleasure?" inquired Goemon.

"Ha ha. I'm sorry I don't call often, okay?" sighed Jigen, "I need to ask you a favor."

"Certainly."

"You're pretty traditional, right? Well, do you believe in arranged marriages?"

"What? Jigen, I'm married!"

"Not for you!" Jigen grumbled, "Your son! Toshiro!"

"Toshiro? Why do you ask me this now…? Once again?" inquired Goemon suspiciously.

"I just… I'm just wondering, is all… Now, if you and I arranged something, would I pay you, or would you pay me? And who'd pay for a wedding? Do—Do we even need a wedding? Couldn't we go over their heads and do something, and just tell them afterwards that we did it? I mean, there must be something we can do online!" said Jigen.

"How much have you drunk in the past hour?"

"Dammit, listen to me!" Jigen growled, "I got another phone call from Yukiko! Apparently someone's son went a little too far with a hostage…"

"You're kidding," Goemon gasped.

"Nope," Jigen sat back in his chair, and removed a yo-yo from his pocket, "So, you coming over for the holidays?"

"Still contemplating," replied Goemon, "Hey, I'm working on a new crossword, and I'm stuck on a word."

"Christ," Jigen grumbled, threw the yo-yo out once, and caught it once more.

Central Park:

"And I don't think it was right of you to… I mean, you hardly knew her, right? And, as your friend, I think I should tell you that you screwed up—Royally! And I know you're lonely… We all get lonely and sometimes we do stupid things… And I'm no better! But you really screwed up, Buddy. And you probably feel like crap right now, as you should! Because you really shouldn't have done that, man. I mean, look at her! She's a twig, and with a crap personality! You must've been pret-ty damn lonely, that or drunk! That, or you're stupid, which I'm really starting to think! God, you friggin' moron, Toshiro! You're a friggin' idiot!" shouted Yukiko. She smiled weakly, and turned to Heiji, "How was that?"

"Is this before or after you slit his throat with a rusty blade?" inquired Heiji as he tossed another handful of seed at the pigeons gathered around him.

"After!" snapped Yukiko. She sighed, and seated herself next to the hacker, "I freaking suck…"

"No… Well… Yes… You have no social skills whatsoever… But at least we're out of the hotel!" said Heiji. He sighed as he looked at Yukiko's expression, and leaned forward, "All right… Let's try something a little different… Seeing as how that didn't seem to be doing what we wanted…" he removed his glasses, and tousled his hair a little bit, and looked back up at Yukiko. She noticed what a great deal he looked like his brother, and watched in curiosity as he sat upright, "Now, pretend I'm him, and you're… You…"

"Okay," Yukiko nodded.

"All right, now," Heiji cleared his throat, and fell into a New York accent, "Now, you wanted to talk to me?"

"Yeah… About what you did with that brat…" replied Yukiko.

"I know…. I'm sorry… But, you know, I can honestly say I was thinking about you the whole time," said Heiji.

Yukiko frowned, and pushed him, "Creep!"

"What?" Heiji chuckled, "You know he likes you, Yuki!"

"I told him no, already… He's like my big brother, okay? It would be weird!"

"Oh, yeah… That'll stop all of the feelings he's had for you for nearly twenty years—Just tell him to stop," snorted Heiji, "You really are a girl underneath the suit…"

"Ha ha… No crap," Yukiko mumbled. She shot her head up, and gulped, "Uh-oh… Here comes trouble…" Heiji looked upward, and also saw Max and Leo in the park, looking about aimlessly.

"Let's run, then…" said Heiji, rising from the park bench.

"HEY!" Max shouted as he recognized the duo. He broke off into a run, Leo hobbling behind to the best of his ability, "Get back here! That's Yukiko and Heiji! They work with Lupin!"

"No crap, Detective Conan! Now you want to help me out!?" Leo snapped from his place on the ground where he had tripped. Max glanced back at the ever-vanishing Yukiko and Heiji, and then at Leo. He sighed, and ran to help LeBlanc up.

"Thanks," Leo said as he stood up and leaned on Max, "I'm really sorry, Max…"

"I can't believe they got away!" Max growled, "Leo, you—Hey, you're bleeding…" Max silenced in surprise as he looked down at Leo's knee, where a damp dark spot had appeared on the black fabric.

"I must've broken my stitches," Leo said with a moan of pain.

Max sighed, "You want me to carry you?"

"What, I—No way, I… Ow… Ouch…" mumbled Leo, "This looks so damn gay…"

"Dammit, don't I know! But I know broken stitches are never a good thing!" said Max as he led Leo back to their car. As he loaded LeBlanc in, however, he thought back to a scene from his childhood….

A friend had just fallen out of a tree, and he helped him to the house… A dark-haired boy… Who had it been, though!? Zenigata shrugged, and hopped into the driver's seat, hoping to remember the face as he drove onward.

A little later, a New York Hotel:

Lisa had fallen asleep watching mindless television. Odori had also fallen asleep, and was leaning against the chair Lisa slept in. Ryo was reading an old Western novel, and Fuji was going over information on Lisa's mother's book. Yukiko had been lying on a couch, but grew restless with her thoughts, and rose, and quickly stormed out of the room.

"You think she'll go talk to him?" Ryo inquired.

"Yep," Fuji replied quietly.

Yukiko closed the door of her hotel room, and opened the men's room. Heiji was fixing a computer with its pieces spread on the floor, and Ally was talking on the phone.

"Yeah… I miss you too," said Ally, "What? I'm not going to say that? Ha ha… Carmen, I'm _not_ going to say that! Okay… Same here…"

"Where's Toshiro?" asked Yukiko.

"He's in the bathroom…" said Heiji slowly, "Why?"

"I'm going to go talk to him," said Yukiko sternly, speed walking towards the bathroom.

Meanwhile, in the bathroom, Toshiro reflected upon his day while he took a shower, "She'll never forgive me…. Thank God at least Dad doesn't know…" he said to himself. He swiveled his head in surprise as he heard the door open, and peeked out to see Yukiko in the bathroom.

"Wh—What the hell are you doing here!?" Toshiro yelped.

"You and I need to talk," replied Yukiko, perching on top of the countertop and folding her arms.

"You could've picked a better time, you know! I'm a little busy…" replied Toshiro, glancing off to a side and picking up a towel from the rung.

"Yeah, I've noticed, but I can't hold this in anymore," said Yukiko, "What you did was stupid, okay? You don't even know her, and she's trouble—I can tell."

"Don't talk to me like a girlfriend," snapped Toshiro from behind the shower curtain, where he had disappeared. Yukiko heard the water shut off, and Toshiro poked his head back out.

"I'm talking to you as a friend, all right?" said Yukiko, "You shouldn't go around, just, doing that…"

Toshiro walked out, the towel wrapped about his waist, and faced Yukiko. He stared at her a long while before speaking, "You have no idea how lonely it gets, especially when being someone for so long and having them, leave…"

"I do. You left me, remember?" Yukiko replied, her fedora shielding her eyes, which fell upon the floor.

"I… Let's just pretend this never happened, okay?" she sighed, "This is too damn complicated for my liking. I'm only hard on you because I care about you, dammit!"

Toshiro smirked, "Yuki… Thanks…"

"No problem. Big idiot," Yukiko hopped off of the counter, and embraced him, "You're soaked…" she laughed.

"I know," Toshiro nodded. He drew back, and looked downward at her, and smiled. He began to lean inward, but instead of the intended target, he ended up kissing Yukiko's fedora, which she held up in defense.

"I—I've gotta go," she smirked, and quickly exited, sighing in relief as she did so, "Damn, that was close!"

"Damn I was close…" Toshiro grumbled to himself as he stared in exhaustion at the door ahead of him.


	21. Would I Lie to You?

DISCLAIMER: Don't own Lupin III… Oh, now I say something cute, right? Well, forget it! I'm not some sort of puppet put here for the amusement of others!! (Oh wait, hee hee… I _am_…)

Hi!

Thanks again for the awesome output, everyone—Thanks a million. As usual, I'm glad that the last chapter was enjoyed. What could Max's vision have meant? Hm… Well, let's find out. I hope everyone enjoys the next chapter as much as the last one… Unless you hated the last chapter, then I hope you like this one more… My head hurts from all of that thinking now, ouch…

Chapter Twenty One

The Same Night: Would I Lie to You?

'I'm a loser,

and I've lost someone who's dear to me,

I'm a loser,

I'm not what I appear to be,'

—The Beatles, _'I'm a Loser'_

A French Back Yard, about Seventeen years ago:

"Hey, are you all right?" a young Max Zenigata, without glasses and in shorts, inquired. A dark-haired boy a few years older than himself had just fallen out of a tree, and was moaning on the ground.

"No," he replied, sitting up on the ground, "I think I broke my foot!"

"Here, I'll carry you," said Max, lifting him and lying one of his arms across his back, "We'll get you to your dad."

"Thanks, Max," said the dark-haired boy as they both hobbled into the home.

Max awoke, and sat up in bed. Noises had awoken him from his peculiar dream, "Who in the world is that kid!?" he turned as he heard the noises again, and say Leo muttering in his sleep. LeBlanc was having some dream, thought Max as he continued to look onward at Leo. He jumped back in surprise as Leo bolted upward and let out a scream of horror.

"I didn't do it!!" Leo shrieked.

"Hey, hey! LeBlanc! What's going on!?" Max inquired hastily, jumping out of bed and kneeling next to Leo.

Leo seemed dazed, and panted heavily. LeBlanc also suffered from a cold sweat, Max noted, "Leo… You're soaking wet… What the hell were you dreaming about!?"

"I—I can't remember," Leo panted, and rested his arms on his knees. He looked downward, and muttered to Max, "C-Could you please get me a glass of water, Zenigata?"

"Sure," Max nodded, and ran into the bathroom. He filled up a complimentary glass with water and ran back to Leo, who still bore the same dazed expression.

Max seated himself next to Leo, and watched as the fellow inspector drank up the water quickly, and set the glass down on the nightstand, "I'm sorry to have scared you… It's just a side affect of a medication I'm on…" Leo explained.

"Yeah…. Don't worry, I've been having a weird dream, too," Max admitted, "This one where I helped a kid who fell out of a tree into his house… It's so weird… It feels so real!"

Leo knew for a fact that this was real. Max had helped him into the house after he had tried to show off by climbing the tallest tree in his family's back yard. Zenigata had been four; he had been seven. Of course Max wouldn't remember, Leo thought with relief.

"Will you be okay? You want to go to a hospital?" asked Max worriedly.

"Um… No, I'll be fine…" replied Leo, lying back on his bed, "Just a bad dream, you know… I think I just need more rest… I've been pushing myself too hard, lately…"

"You can say that again," Max sighed, and rose. He wondered what Leo's story was, sometimes. What sort of family did he have? How'd he learn so many languages? Why is he so afraid of women? Why are there virtually no medical records on him? What's the connection between him and Lupin? Why has he never laughed?

"You've never really laughed…" Max realized in shock as he looked downward at Leo.

"I what?" Leo turned back and stared at him.

"N-Nothing," Max shook his head, and crawled into his bed, "Just rest, Leo…"

"Okay. G'night, Max," Leo muttered.

"Yeah…. Good night, Leo," Max answered, turning over in his bed but not forgetting his numerous thoughts.

The Next Morning, the Lupin Hideout:

"Hey, Dori, come listen to this!" Heiji whispered, waving his sister over.

"What?" she inquired, walked over and leaning over his laptop. Heiji stuck an earpiece in her right ear, and Odori stood straight up in confusion.

"It's Ally's phone. I'm trying out a new spying device on it," Heiji chuckled, "He's talking to his lovely little royal darling…"

Both remained silenced and listened in on Ally's conversation, but could not hold back laughter as they heard Jigen speak with a foreign sweetness. Ryo wondered what the two were laughing so hard over as she passed. She shrugged her shoulders, and walked away from the laughing duo.

"Oh—Oh my God!" Heiji laughed, "I can't believe this is the mighty squirrel killer, and— Woah, am I the only one who thought that comment was a tad racy to say to royalty?" he inquired to Odori, whose smile had faded with the said comment.

"Hey, Ally—Can I use that? Please, it's an emergency," said Toshiro in the background.

"Sure. One second," Heiji and Odori heard, "Gotta go… Love you. Bye!"

"Hm. Wonder who he's calling," Heiji said with a look of thought upon his features.

"Well, we can find out," replied Odori, "Maybe he wants Kome to put one of his pigeons on the line so he can talk to it…"

"Considering how he can speak pigeon," Heiji sighed as both listened for Toshiro's call.

"Hello? Kome?" Toshiro said into the phone.

"Hello, Toshiro! How are you?" Kome inquired warmly.

"All right…." Toshiro answered, "The phone's not working, so I'm using Ally's. I just had to speak with you about a few things…"

"Such as?"

"You didn't tell her, did you?" Toshiro sighed heavily, "You chickened out, and showed her the pictures of me in drag at that Halloween party…"

"Drag!?" Heiji yelped.

"Wouldn't Dad be pleased?" Odori sighed, "His little boy... A drag queen..."

"Toshiro—I…" Kome gulped, "It's not exactly easy! That girl's grown up thinking her mother's dead! How am I supposed to tell her she's still alive!?"

"WHAT!?" Heiji and Odori yelped, drawing the attention of Ryo, who had been searching for her gun.

"What the hell are you listening to? It can't possibly be Jeff Foxworthy…" said Ryo.

"Here…" Heiji unplugged the earpiece, and allowed the sound to travel around the room.

"Kome, you must tell her! She's old enough!" snapped Toshiro.

"Toshiro… It's not easy…" Kome answered tiredly.

"Like it's easy for me to continually lie to her!?" Toshiro replied belligerently.

"Lie, about what?" Ryo whispered to Heiji and Odori.

All heard the door open, and spun around as they watched Yukiko enter, whistling a showtune to herself.

"I can't keep telling her Sakura is dead when she's alive!" Toshiro said passionately. Yukiko stopped her whistling, and all fell silent.

Ryo glanced down at the computer, and back up at Yukiko, "Yuki, I…"

"My-My mom's alive?" Yukiko choked, and took a step back. "Is that some sort of joke? Because, if it is, it's sick..."

"Fine… I'll tell her soon," sighed Kome, "Please just don't upset me, Toshiro. I'm her mother, I know what I'm doing."

"Turn that damn computer off…" said Yukiko in a hiss. Heiji immediately complied, and watched apprehensively as Yukiko stood in the midst of them, shaking. Yukiko spun around as she saw Fuji enter, smiling, with Lisa in tow.

"Twenty million!? Do you believe it!? And that book, too! But that's small bananas compared to the dough! Jeeze, Lisa, I don't think even my dad loves me that much!" Fuji laughed, "Hey, Yukiko, what's up?"

"I quit," said Yukiko.

"You what? Why?" inquired Fuji.

"Because you're all liars who don't care about anyone!" Yukiko yelled, and stormed out, "Consider this my resignation—Permanently!"

She walked towards the door, and bumped into Toshiro. She looked upward at him, and glared, "You… You're the worst of them…"

"What?" Toshiro frowned.

"You're the one who knew…" said Yukiko, looking downward at the ground. Toshiro watched in surprise as he watched a drop of water, and he realized Yukiko was crying, "I had her there all along… Who else knew that Sakura was alive!?"

"All of the old Lupin gang," replied Toshiro quietly after his initial shock, "Yukiko, let me please explain!" But before he could finish, a knife went zooming towards his head. It pierced the wall Toshiro had been standing behind, and stayed there, mere inches from his face. Yukiko threw the sheath to the blade down onto the ground, and looked upward at Toshiro.

"Here's your damn dagger back!" she yelled, "I guess I killed a guy over nothing! Keep it! I'm leaving, and I never want to see any of you ever again!"

"Yuki, you don't mean that…" Ryo sputtered.

"Just tell Mom and Dad I got killed!" snapped Yukiko as she stormed down the hall and walked towards the elevator. Toshiro ran after her, and stood next to her.

"Yuki, I did it because I cared!" said Toshiro, "Sakura wouldn't let me tell you! She was afraid!"

"I lost years I could've had with my mother! You did exactly what your grandmother did to you! She let you live a lie, and you got angry over it! But now that you've done that to me, it's supposed to be okay?" snapped Yukiko angrily.

"I'm not saying that!" said Toshiro, "Listen… I did it because I—I love you, and I didn't want to see you hurt!"

Yukiko smirked wryly, and looked up at him from under her fedora, "If that's your version of love, I _definitely_ want none of it…" she elevator doors opened, and she stepped in, and closed the doors before Toshiro could enter with her.

Yukiko looked downward, and put a hand over her eyes, "And I really thought he was my friend…Dammit! Can't trust anybody nowadays! And my Dad knew…. And so'd Goemon! Goemon! What the hell's wrong with people?"

Toshiro stepped back, and turned as he felt a set of eyes upon him. It was more like several sets of eyes—A disappointed Odori, an angry Heiji, a confused Fuji, a saddened Ryo, a shocked Ally and a bewildered Lisa.

"What's going on?" Ryo ventured to ask.

"Kome is Yukiko's mom… But I wasn't allowed to tell her…" said Toshiro, "Kome—Sakura—swore that she would leave if I ever told, and the woman was so weak… She would never have survived without Julia and me…"

"See… I told you we should've gone to Atlantic City…" sighed Fuji to Ryo.

The New York City Streets:

"Can't believe it…" Yukiko muttered as she kicked a can out of her way and continued to storm down the streets. She heard a clap of thunder, and a moment later, it began to pour down rain.

"What the hell next!?" Yukiko screamed, looking upward with her arms spread. She drew no attention, because she gave off the aura of just another crazy New Yorker, "C'mon, anything else for me!? Seems you've done everything else! There's gotta be something more!?" she sighed, and laid her arms down at her sides, "There's gotta be something more…" she whispered to herself as she continued to trudge along the streets of the city.

"Well, I better see Mom, before I go," she sighed, and put her hands in her pockets.

"Hey, Lady, you need a cab!?" she heard, and spun around.

"Wait! Yukiko, wait up!" she heard, and saw Toshiro running after her. She blinked in disbelief as he stopped in front of her, panting heavily.

"Hey, are you getting in?" asked the cabby.

"If you let her in I'll chop your friggin' head off!" snapped Toshiro angrily, bending down to see the cabdriver. He stood back upward to face Yukiko, "I know this is going to sound corny, but I really don't want you to leave!"

"You ran the whole way here!?" Yukiko wondered out loud.

"Yeah… I've been chased by enough gang members in my lifetime to not mind it," Toshiro panted, "Although my side's bothering me… I was actually chased by Ally for three blocks… I lost him on Twelfth Avenue… I knocked into a fruit kiosk… He'll probably come home reeking of oranges…"

"That's nice… Now if you excuse me, I have a cab to catch!" said Yukiko angrily.

"Hey, I'm trying to do a good thing, Lady—But my meter's running!" sighed the cabdriver.

"You really want to leave?" Toshiro asked sadly.

"Yeah," Yukiko nodded. As she finished speaking, Toshiro removed one of his swords, and butted her in the stomach with the handle. She fell to her knees, winded, and there was little she could do as Toshiro threw her over his shoulder.

"Let me go, you creep!" Yukiko yelled, pounding on his back angrily.

"No," replied Toshiro sternly, "We've got to sort this out! I'm going to carry you to Kome, so we can speak about this!" He then felt a swift kick to his stomach, and fell down. Yukiko wriggled out of his grasp, and continued running.

"He's such a jerk…" Yukiko wept.

Later, the Lupin gang's hideout:

All sat silently while they awaited a phone call from Lisa's family. Toshiro had not returned, nor had Yukiko. Whereas Toshiro had called, Yukiko had not. She had turned her cell phone off, making her impossible to get in contact with.

"Did I do something bad?" inquired Lisa earnestly as she looked about at the sea of morose faces.

"No… It was a long time coming, I'm afraid," Fuji sighed, lapsing into a rare sense of seriousness, "Their relationship's strained in the recent years… It's got to be hard on them, both… Well, got to get down to business…"

"Hey, is anyone else feeling kind of light-headed?" Heiji inquired.

"Yeah… I just thought it was because I've been drinking…" replied Odori with a blink of confusion.

"Oh, Mommy… Everyone, cover your faces!" ordered Fuji, covering her mouth with her jacket collar. But it was no match for the fumes entering the hotel room through the air vents.

They awoke later, when Toshiro returned. He was quite surprised to see everyone passed out, and Fuji grew outraged at the disappearance of Lisa. "Where could she have gone? Dammit… She can't be that far!" said Fuji angrily as she began to search about the room.

"It was still sunlight out when he fell asleep…" Odori noted, looking out at the waxing moon.

"Crap! Who could have—" Fuji stopped, and looked downward at Odori, "Dori-chan, what's that in your sash?"

"Hm?" Odori looked downward, and saw a slip of paper sticking out of it. She pulled it out, and gasped in surprise, "That son of a bitch!"

"What's it say, Dori?" inquired Ryo.

"Dear Fujiko and company. I have taken the Walsh girl, ha ha—Can you believe that, he actually wrote 'ha ha'…-- I hope you don't mind too much, Fujiko-chan. Don't plan on following, not like you could… Sincerely, your cousin, Victor Lupin. P.S.—Odori, that floral bra looks _stunning on you!?_" Odori rose, and crumpled the note in her hand, "He is so dead!"

"Odori… Odori, transcend…" said Heiji, rising as she stormed towards the door.

"That jerk can transcend my fist!" yelled Odori passionately.

"Dori, he's right… I want to hurt him just as badly right now, but we've got more important things to do right now," Fuji reminded her. "I'll let you take care of Victor personally later, but until then, let's think of a plan…"

"How could we possibly find him?" inquired Ryo.

"Oh, that's the easy part!" said Heiji proudly, striding over to his computer and opening the screen, "I placed a tracking device on her!"

"How did you get it on her?" inquired Ally.

Heiji blushed, and cleared his throat, "Anyway… She ought to be about here. Look, see, the flashing light!"

"Let's get going, then!" said Fuji, jumping off to the couch and bounding for the door. All exited, and Ally glared as he walked past Toshiro.

"You better watch your ass…" Ally warned, "If there's gunfire, I can make you getting shot look like an accident…" Toshiro gulped, and watched as Jigen storm past him. He soon followed the others out, and hopped on his Vespa, riding alone for the first time in months.

"Please be okay, Yuki…" he said to himself as he started up his vehicle and followed the pinkish-red Alfa Romeo down the street. As Ryo zoomed past the traffic, they caught the eyes of a certain set of officers.

"There they are!" Max shouted joyously, cutting through three lanes of traffic.

"Oh God, don't let me die in Brooklyn!" Leo begged aloud as he clutched onto the handle of the cruiser.

"Hey, company!" Ally yelled back Ryo.

"Great—A family reunion," Fuji smirked, "Let them follow us, Ryo-san… This could be fun…I'd love LeBlanc's excuse for why he looks identical to Victor…" she chuckled.

Later, an Abandoned Bank Building:

"He's in here," said Heiji, "We're almost directly over him now!"

"Cool. Ryo, park the car. Don't bother to leave the motor running," said Fuji.

"Lupin! Get over here!" Max shouted as he jumped out of the cruiser. The stunned Leo was slower to get out, and looked like he had just witnessed the mass murder of small and adorable woodland creatures.

"Well, if it isn't Blondie and his sidekick?" chuckled Fuji, "I was wondering where you were, Zenigata….. You kind of fell off of the radar for a month… You and LeBlanc on a honeymoon?"

"You shut your trap! Everything between Leo and myself in heterosexual!" shouted Max in defense.

"Please—The two of you are about as heterosexual as a Judy Garland tribute concert…" Fuji snorted, "But seriously, you two still haven't made it to third base? Jeeze, I guess you lose the bet, Heiji-chan."

"So, I have to wash your car how many months now?" inquired Heiji.

"Hey, we have more important things to worry about! Like my honor!" snapped Odori, "I must restore it in battle with Lupin!"

"Lupin?" Max and Leo repeated with surprise.

"As in, Victor Lupin," Fuji winked, "See you two on top!"

"Wait! Lupin!" Max shouted, and began to run after her.

"Hey, Zenigata, wait!" Leo called, having apparently fallen again, "My knee!"

"Right," Max walked over to Leo, and began to help LeBlanc up. But Max fell, and his glasses flew off in other direction. Leo quickly picked them up, and hid them in his jacket, and rose.

"I'm so sorry! Are you all right?" inquired Leo worriedly, helping Max to rise.

"Yeah… But I lost my glasses! I can't even make out your face without them!" said Max worriedly.

Perfect, Leo thought. "Come on, I'll be your eyes," Leo said, walking with Max into the bank building.

The Lupin gang found Victor with his hostage on the fourth floor. Victor wore his hair longer than Leo, and it was black—But their facial features were next to identical. Another major difference between the two, on the outside at least, was that Victor opted for a black turtleneck and white pants, along with polished zip-up boots.

"Glad you could show, Fuji," said Victor with a smile as he came into view. Next to him sat Lisa, bound and gagged in a chair, "Odori Ishikawa… Stunning, as usual… Now don't give me that look, Odori… One swoop of that old blade, and this girl gets it. And I mean it."

"Victor, long time, no see…. Not long enough, though," said Fuji.

"You're as charming as ever, Fuji," said Victor with a smirk, "In a certain street walker sort of manner, I mean…"

"Okay, you jerk, what's the deal with you? What are you getting out of this!?" asked Fuji.

"I was in the area… Figured I reunion would be fun… Plus I love the opportunity to make you look like a fool… Thank God there are so many of those!" replied Victor with a laugh, "I can't believe you inherited the name, you big-busted bimbo… How much did you pay for those, again?"

"If you mean what do I pay for having these, they make jogging a little awkward," Fuji said with a sarcastic smile.

"Just as bad as your old man with the corny jokes…" sighed Victor, "Let's see if you're worthy of that name now, Lupin…"

"Freeze!" Max shouted as he and Leo burst out of the stairway. Victor blinked a few times in surprise, as if not believing what he was seeing. Was that really his cousin with the police?

"How rich…" Victor chuckled, and drew out a gun, "Let's see if any of you are faster than a speeding bullet, though…"

"Wait!" Leo yelled, "Victor, stop it! She's innocent!"

"You're all under arrest!" Max shouted.

"Who's the bitch?" inquired Victor.

"That's Ms. Bitch, to you," said Fuji, chuckling.

"Not you—That hack with the dye job!" replied Victor, motioning towards Max.

"Max Zenigata! And this color's natural!" Max shouted.

"Yeah, and so's Fuji's chest…" snorted Victor.

"You're just jealous," said Fuji.

"I've had enough of your crap. I think I'm going to shoot her now…" said Victor with a smile.

"No, don't!" all shouted. A gunshot echoed around the room, and all stood stunned in position.

Toshiro recognized the quick draw style, and smirked as Victor's gun flew across the room. As Victor went to reach for it, Ally kicked him in the jaw, leaving him disabled temporarily, and Odori cut Lisa loose from her bondage.

"Good shot," Toshiro said as he looked over at the familiar white-suited figure.

"Could someone please tell me what the hell just happened!?" Max demanded angrily.

"I know… I learned from my dad… Must've gotten my vision from my mom, though," Yukiko replied as she put her gun back in her holster, "I got her voice, too…"

"And her understanding," Toshiro added, "How did you find us?"

"I saw you zoom past me as I walked out of your complex. I followed by taxi," replied Yukiko as she walked over to him and looked onward at Odori, who was commencing her battery upon Victor.

"I thought you never wanted to speak with me again…" Toshiro added.

"Did a hell of a lot of soul searching," replied Yukiko with a smirk, "And I talked with my mom… She put a lot into perspective for me… What can I say, I get my temper from my dad... Just like you get your sense of values from your crazy grandpa!"

Toshiro shot his head back in horror, but Yukiko chuckled, and punched him in the shoulder, "Big idiot… Anything else you've been hiding from me, eh? Say it now while I'm a too drunk to kill you!"

"Ha, I've finally got you now, Lupin!" Max shouted triumphantly as he threw a set of handcuffs over a set of wrists.

"You're that blind, and they gave you a gun!?" Heiji yelped as he looked downward at his wrist, "Oh, I officially have no respect left for this political system, anymore…"

"I don't care who you are—You're coming with me!" shouted Max.

"Even though I'm your nephew?" Heiji whispered.

"I don't give a damn about that! What you're doing is wrong!" said Max accusingly, "Hey, what'd you do to my wrists?" he inquired as he looked down at his hands.

"I gave you a matching set of bracelets," Heiji chuckled.

"Why, you—" Max took a step forward, but found his feet had been cuffed together, as well, "Ah, what the hell!?" he moaned.

"Guys, I've got LeBlanc tied up, too. Let's get going!" said Fuji.

"I am not funny, Fuji!" Leo shouted as he went to undo his feet, which had also been cuffed together. His broken arm had made escaping more difficult than usual, and he remained there some time with the passed-out Victor and the angered Max while the Lupin gang escaped.

The Next Day, Central Park:

"So, she went home?" Yukiko concluded as she lied on a metal park bench, next to Toshiro, who was busying himself feeding pigeons.

"Yeah," Toshiro sighed.

"You sound depressed about it… You miss her?" inquired Yukiko, her eyes peering up from under her fedora, "Or is it because we didn't get the money or the book?"

"Well, hopefully this taught her a lesson, at least," said Toshiro.

"What lesson would that be, almighty knower?" she ventured to ask, "The taller they are, the easier they are?"

"Um… I suppose… I don't know how Dad did it—I'm awful at this Zen B.S. Maybe it's because I've been corrupted by the city," said Toshiro with a shrug.

"Okay, now I want to know for real—Do you have any other secrets?" inquired Yukiko, "I wanna know… Because you've been scaring me left and right! And you've also been making me want to shoot you...."

"You're the one who walked in on me while I was in the shower," snapped Toshiro in response as he threw another handful of seeds at the birds, who ate it greedily.

"Seriously, Toshiro," said Yukiko sternly.

Toshiro looked back downward at her; there was one secret, but she would never believe it… She would probably be extremely angry, knowing her, and he was lucky she was still friends with him after everything alreayd… She had already told him no, that they would remain as friends… And as long as she thought this, he could not tell her what he really thought of her. While he thought over this secret, he silently sprinkled birdseed on the top of her fedora. He chuckled as a pigeon landing on her head, and began feeding.

"I am so going to kill you if you don't get that damn rat with wings off of me," said Yukiko through gritted teeth.

"It's fabulous accessory," said Toshiro.

"Unless you want your dad to see you dressed up as a woman, half-drunk, I suggest you get it off of me…" said Yukiko. Toshiro let out a small yelp, and removed the pigeon from her head. She rose, and dusted the birdfeed off, and frowned in discontent.

"You want to go do karaoke?" inquired Toshiro with a smile.

"No," snapped Yukiko, "That's only for people who can't sing…"

"Yuki…" Toshiro sighed and looked downward, "There's something I wanted to tell you… Somewhat important… I… Well, it's hard to say, but…"

"I forgive you, already okay?" said Yukiko, "Now, come on. Let's get goin'. Flight leaves in an hour!"

"Wait, it wasn't that!" said Toshiro quickly as she rose and began to walk down the park street.

"Well, let's just keep it at that, okay?" said Yukiko with a smirk, looking back at him briefly and then continuing to walk down the street.

"Damn it…" grumbled Toshiro. He sighed, and threw out the remainder of birdfeed, "Well, it's better than having her mad at me…" he said to himself as he rose off of the bench, and followed Yukiko down the path.


	22. Shanghai Surprise

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Lupin III… But I still love it, anyway.

Hello!

Leo, Max, gay? I… I… I'm sorry, I ain't got nothin' for that. Well, actually, I have too much to say about that, hee hee. Well, other than that which amuses me immensely… Thanks again for the comments and reviews. As always, they are appreciated. Good, bad, critical—I'm equal opportunity. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter too, and… I'm sorry, I've got nothing for this, either… Summer's rotted my brain out—It's just little hamsters on wheels working up here now.

Chapter Twenty Two

A Few Weeks Later: Shanghai Surprise

__

'But Daniel was hot,

And he drew first and shot,

And Rocky collapsed in the corner,'

—The Beatles, _'Rocky Raccoon'_

France:

"Hey, hey, Fujicakes! They're here!" said Lupin cheerily as he peered out the window, "What in the world is Toshiro riding on? And with Yukiko…?"

"That's a Vespa, Dear. We own three," replied Fujiko as she fluffed a knit pillow, another craft of Ari's.

"I know what it is! But it just looks strange with a samurai…" Lupin commented as he drew the blinds shut and waited for Fuji to enter. The doorbell rang, and Lupin opened the door, and was nearly tackled by Fuji, who embraced him tightly.

"Daddy!" Fuji said with an unusual squeal of joy.

"Uh… Fuji, Daddy's not breathing… Loosen up a little," Lupin choked.

"Oh, sorry!" Fuji chuckled, and let go of her hold on her father.

"Jeeze, I've had some deathgrips in my time, but you take the cake, Fuji!" Lupin chuckled as he loosened his tie, "I heard you had a run-in with my nephew… After the kidnapping incident, which we'll talk about later…"

"That lecherous heathen…" muttered Odori, narrowing her eyes and gripping onto the handle of the blade.

"Yep, that's our Victor," said Lupin, "Anyway, why don't I show you all to your rooms?"

"Dad, please don't give me the one near Ari's," said Fuji with a hint of sadness.

"I understand," nodded Lupin, "How is he, anyway?"

"Still working with Zenigata," replied Fuji.

"Yeah, I know that. I got a call from his dad—I thought the old man was going to die laughing… I was kind of hoping it would happen for a few moments, too," said Lupin with a slightly annoyed tone.

"Lupin, you don't mean that," sighed Fujiko, "Come on, I'll help everyone, too."

"You know, that's what I love about this joint—Private rooms," said Ally, "I don't have to share a bed with Heiji…"

"Hey, you're the one who's always spooning me and calling me 'Carmen' in your sleep!" snapped Heiji.

"Could we just stop for five seconds? That's already enough scary imagery for one night!" said Fuji as she picked up her bags and followed her mother and father up the stairs. One the way up to her room, she saw one door opened a crack. It was filled with books, and posters and maps of different countries. It was pristinely clean, down to the pens placed side-by-side on the desk. On the desk was a letter from Ari, explaining why he had to leave… Fuji quickly turned her head, and walked into her own bedroom, down the hall from Ari's. She threw her suitcase down, and smiled widely. She walked over to her walk-in closet, and pulled the doors open. She gave a heavy sigh of contentment as she laid eyes on her numerous outfits.

"Hello, girls… You miss your Mommy? Of course you did," said Fuji as she pulled one of the dresses off a hanger and studied herself in a mirror at the end of the closet.

"So, Toshiro, I've hear the least from you over the years, what have you been up to?" inquired Lupin.

Toshiro gulped; if he spoke, Lupin would be surprised, that was certain. He had still had his Japanese accent when he had spoken with the thief, face-to-face.

"A little of this, a little of that," said Toshiro. What he said came out sounding a little more like, 'Ah, li'l a' this, a li'l a' that'… Lupin immediately spun his head around in surprise.

"Well, you've certainly changed… And I don't mean height wise…" said Lupin with a laugh, "I heard you were tall, but I had no idea you were _that_ tall. At least I know who to call to put the angel on top of my Christmas tree!"

Lupin poked his head in Yukiko's old bedroom, where the gunwoman was unfolding her suits, and smiled, "This room, right?"

"No, no—Very, very wrong," replied Toshiro quickly.

"Oh. Well, that's a shame. I would've figured by now…" said Lupin quietly.

"She told me she wants to be friends…"

"You poor bastard. Don't worry, I'd been getting that one for years from Fujiko."

"Well, how did you two finally…?"

"I got her pregnant. Don't tell Fuji, though. She's kind of in the dark about it… Well, as far as I know," Lupin shrugged, "Oh, well, I'll give you your dad's old room. Has a mat in there," said Lupin.

"Um… Could I get a room with a bed? Odori likes those, but they hurt my back," said Toshiro with a weak smile.

"Well, you are full of surprises, huh?" Lupin chuckled, "Okay, I'll give you this room. You like this one?"

"It's perfect," Toshiro nodded as he noticed the wallpaper of doves about the bedroom, "Just like home…"

"Well, this is your old bedroom, after all! I'll see you down at dinner in a little. You can go for a swim in the meantime," Lupin replied, closing the door behind himself, "I wonder if his dad has any clue…"

"What's wrong?" inquired Fujiko as she met with Lupin at the end of the hallway.

"It's good to have the kids here… But there're so many missing still," sighed Lupin, "Jigen, Goemon, Ming, Amaya… Even Pops and Natasha! And let's not forget…."

"Max and Ari," Fujiko nodded, "I know, but maybe for the holidays, right? Everyone's so busy during the regular year… Jigen and Ming have got a baby on the way…"

"Because they're idiots…"

"And Goemon and Amaya have their little tribe to watch after…"

"Because they both have death wishes…"

"And Pops and Natasha are always off doing something…"

"Because by the luck of karma he has the vitality of a rabbit…" Lupin turned to Fujiko, "I actually had a kid call me 'Pops' a few days ago… I was driving, and I guess I didn't notice the red light… Damn it's depressing…"

"Only if you let it be," said Fujiko, kissing Lupin on the cheek and smiling. She gasped as she felt a hand on her lower regions, and slapped Lupin across the face, "Your hair may be graying, but you're still the same old pervert!" Fujiko shouted angrily as she stormed up the stairs.

"Hee hee…. Still got it after all of these years…" Lupin chuckled quietly, rubbing his soar reddened cheek.

Interpol Headquarters, Paris, France:

"WHAT!?" Max shrieked, causing all of the heads in the office to turn and stare, "Another partner!?"

"Yes," nodded the chief, "I'm afraid you and LeBlanc aren't cutting it… So I'm hiring Sergeant Long to go with you."

"Where's this guy from, anyway?" inquired Leo.

"Beijing Police Force. One of the best there is, from what I understand," replied the chief, seating himself in front of the two, "Sergeant Long, you may come in, now!" he called.

"Sir, with all do respect, the whole idea of us being so helpless as to need another hand is… Absolutely gorgeous…." Max muttered as Sgt. Long entered. She was an Asian woman, stern looking, with her hair tied up tightly, and her sharp green pantsuit heightening her sharp features. Leo's eyes immediately directed themselves downward, and he quietly blushed as she removed her glasses.

"Detectives LeBlanc and Zenigata at your service, Ma'am!" said Max cheerily, rising to greet Long.

"The pleasure is mine, Detective," replied Long with a shake of the hand.

__

'There's something about her… I've seen those eyes somewhere before….' Leo thought as he glanced upward at her, _'There's something more to Long, or my name isn't Arsene Lupin the Fourth…'_

Back at the House:

"Hey, Yukiko, we're going swimming the pool—You want to come?" Ally inquired.

"Nah, that's all right," replied Yukiko as she looked outward at the lake behind the Lupin establishment. She had gone fishing with her father, there… Toshiro had kissed her in the tree outside of her window… She and he had driven down that road in a Mini Cooper…

She watched as Ally joined the others down by the pool, who had already been out there for some time. Odori was floating on a purple dragon-like float, looking humorous trying to achieve Zen on the childish device, and Heiji was splashing Ally with the water of the pool. Fuji and Ryo were both in the hot tub, discussing matters and occasionally laughing in the process. And Toshiro had just exited the house. He dove into the pool, and came up for air after over a minute. Yukiko had begun to get concerned, and breathed a sigh of relief as she watched him surface.

"He's still a good guy…" Yukiko said out loud to herself, "Not bad to look at, either… What the hell did I just say!?" she gasped.

"Who were you talking about?" Yukiko spun her head about, and saw Fujiko smiling at her.

"No one," Yukiko replied, pulling her fedora over her eyes and turning away from the window. "What do you need, Fujiko?"

"I was just wondering why you weren't out there having fun like the others," replied Fujiko, "Are you feeling all right?"

"Yeah, I'll fine," Yukiko smirked, "Just… Jet lag, you know…?"

"Hm… Yeah, I know," Fujiko smiled warmly, "You know, you act a lot like Jigen, but that doesn't mean you have to follow his life…"

"Huh?"

"Nothing. You'll understand someday," Fujiko answered with a reassuring glance.

In Lupin's Library:

"Hey, Jigen, how goes the bookstore!?" Lupin inquired cheerily as he leaned back in his leather armchair and spoke through his friend via telephone.

"I'm stocking that new _Harry Potter _book," said Jigen crankily, "This lady makes enough money as it is! She doesn't have to write books this thick! God, the regular are enough on my back—The large prints versions are killers! And we're getting the audio books in next week… Oh, I can feel my feet aching already… Couldn't she stick to three hundred pages, top?"

"Hey, guess who's on the line with me!? He's Asian, he eats crap I wouldn't feed my dog and he has a worse heart than Dick Cheney!" said Lupin.

"No introductions necessary, Lupin… Especially one so very backhanded," said Goemon, a slight tone of annoyance in his voice.

"I just wanted to let you both know that your kids arrived safely…" said Lupin.

"How's Ally? He shoot anything yet?" inquired Jigen worriedly.

"Not yet… But I'm pretty sure if I go up to his room I'll see his sniper rifle pointed to that horse and donkey ranch that's nearby."

"Christ… He always loved shooting mules," muttered Jigen.

"Ah, well, who doesn't love a little ass now and then?" Lupin chuckled, "I was a little concerned with Ryo, seeing that Ari's old stuff is all here, but she's out swimming with the rest of them…"

"How about Heiji and Odori?"

"Bickering like a crotchety old couple fighting over who called 'Bingo' first."

"Good to know they're all right," sighed Goemon, "How about Toshiro?"

"Well… When's the last time you talked to your son, Goemon? I mean, not on the computer…"

"Well, his phone's usually out," replied Goemon, "It has been quite a while, I'll admit. Why?"

"Did he tell you about his Vespa?"

"My son's driving a Vespa!?" yelped Goemon.

"Yeah, a yellow one. With Yukiko as his passenger," added Lupin.

"Hey, she can't do that until she's married!" shouted Jigen, "Is she?" he added hopefully after a pause.

"Why are you so hung up on that girl getting married, Jigen?" inquired Lupin, "Ryo runs around as much as Fujiko, and Ally shoots anything that's breathing and edible. Aren't you the least bit worried?"

"Ryo's doing it to make Ari jealous, and Ally's going through a stage…"

"That's lasted fourteen years," Goemon snorted.

"Hey, since when did you start getting so punchy!?" snapped Jigen.

"My medication," replied Goemon.

"My ass. We all know you get overly cheery when you're on your medication," snorted Jigen, "But she's too much like me, Lupin! I don't want her to get married at forty! She's going to kill herself at the rate she's going! At least Ally and Ryo tried to settle down. Unfortunately, they have my luck with love."

"And Toshiro is nearly thirty!" added Goemon, "I don't know what he's waiting for!"

"You two are just unbelievable," said Lupin with disappointment, "Do you even remember what is was like at their age? How it felt to have that freedom…. Don't you guys want them to experience that?"

"No! That's why we want them married!" Goemon and Jigen shouted in unison.

"I've done way too many stupid things—" Jigen started.

"And I've learned not to let them do those same stupid things—" added Goemon.

"While I sit around! I mean—"

"It'd be bad parenting to just stand around while they—"

"Screw around and ruin their lives!"

Lupin paused, and stared at the phone a long while before speaking. "Have—Have you guys practiced that speech or something?"

"We've both given it, Lupin," replied Jigen.

"Yeah, but do you two both compare notes, or something? Because if not, that was horribly creepy…" said Lupin.

"We just spend too, too much time together," said Goemon.

"Lupin, where do you keep your towels?" Toshiro inquired as he walked into the home.

"Who's that?" Jigen and Goemon asked in unison.

"That's…. Toshiro…"

"What!?" both choked.

"Does he talk like that all of the time?" inquired Jigen.

"My son has a Brooklyn accent!? It's no wonder he never called!" Goemon yelled in an angry drawl.

"It's because he was afraid you'd freak out… And you're kind scaring me, yourself. Calm down—Remember your condition," Lupin sighed, "I'll talk to you both later—You're both making my head hurt."

"Yeah… I've got a date in an hour, anyway…" said Jigen.

"Oh, I heard about that ballroom dance competition! Good luck!" said Lupin.

"Wha—Who the hell told you about that!?" Jigen demanded.

"Oh, no one. I just guessed," chuckled Lupin, "It is Friday, after all, and you're highly predictable. Have fun, Jigen. Send me pictures!"

"I'll send you a case full of rabid vipers," Jigen snapped in return, "Have a good night…"

"You, too, Jigen," said Goemon, "Good bye, Lupin."

"Goodnight, Jigen. Goodnight, Goemon. Goodnight, John Boy," chuckled Lupin.

"Who's John Boy?" inquired Jigen.

"_The Waltons_… Not like I watch it…" Goemon coughed.

"Sure, sure…" said Jigen.

"Bye, guys," Lupin hung up the telephone, and rose from his seat. "Wonder if he and Ming will win again this year—Especially with her being pregnant…" he wondered out loud as he walked out to the back yard, where Odori was in the midst of drowning Heiji while Ally fought her off. But this was nothing new—They had always been like this. He did wonder, however, what had become of Toshiro.

"He went back up to check on Yukiko," Fuji explained after her father inquired as to where Toshiro had gone.

"Ah," Lupin nodded, and looked upward towards Yukiko's window.

"If he's doing anything remotely like he usually would, I'm going to slaughter him," Ally growled, bawling his fists together.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry until later tonight if I were you, Ally!" said Fuji.

"Why's that?" inquired Ally, turning his head toward Fuji.

"Fancy party… Millionaire with a millionaire smile and eyes to kill for, and, ahem… Anyway, bottom line is, this guy has something I want, and we're infiltrating," explained Fuji.

"And what is it that he has?" inquired Ally.

"A series of letters that belong to the Lupin clan," replied Fuji, "He's going to auction them! Can you believe that!? Those are private!"

"He has a catalog of five-hundred letters from Lupin, Lupin II, Lupin III, Remy Lupin and even a few from Lupin IV," said Ryo darkly, "And personally, I don't give a damn about the first three Lupins—No offense, Fuji's Dad—I want Ari's. Just Ari's. Those are his letters to me."

"How'd this guy get them?" inquired Heiji. All looked over at Lupin, who was staring down at the tiling of the pool.

"Why don't you tell them, Dad?" inquired Fuji.

"I forgot them on a plane…" said Lupin slowly, "I must've forgotten my carryon. I know it's out of the ordinary, but, what can I say?"

"That the hairdye's seeping into your brain?" Fuji chuckled. Lupin's smile twitched, and he chuckled, otherwise speechless, "Don't worry, Daddy, we'll get that album back—I'll do it for both you and Ryoko-san."

"You need to do it for yourself, too, Fujiko," Lupin coughed uncomfortably, "Because that book has some of your pictures."

"Oh, God… Which ones?" inquired Fuji with great concerns.

"You remember, Sweetheart, when you went through those, er, 'chubby years'?"

"You and I were the same size, remember? I wore one of your dresses at Halloween, and put those balloons under my shirt. You and I went as your mom and dad," Heiji sighed in conclusion, "You were an awesome Lupin."

Fuji paled, and she jumped out of the water, "Everyone get dressed! Daddy, call the limos! We're going to give the muckraker one hell of a go-over!"

"Oh, she's got her game face on…" said Heiji after a pause of silence from all.

"That's my girl," Lupin sighed.

On the Paris Streets:

"There's a ninety-percent chance that Lupin will hit tonight," said Sgt. Long as she sat in the passenger side of Max's police cruiser, while Zenigata drove and LeBlanc brooded in the back seat.

"Really? That's amazing, how you can get it down to such a precise figure!" said Zenigata. Leo rolled his eyes, and pulled out his knitting kit, "Hey, LeBlanc, we need to get some things together—Mind if we head over to your place for a few hours?"

Leo yelped, and looked upward, "Well… I… I suppose…"

"All right, just give me the directions, and I'll get to driving!" said Zenigata, smiling towards Long. Leo shuddered, and looked downward as Long looked upward at him through the rearview. She gave looks as though she were judging someone by their very soul when she stared at them, Leo noted with a shudder.

"So, Ms. Long, you must have another name…" said Max with a smile.

"I prefer to keep it professional, but… Since we're going to be working together around the clock, I suppose so can call me… Sharon…" said Sharon with another glare back at Leo, whose face reddened again as he caught her glance.

"Sharon. Wonderful name!" said Max, "You have a nickname or anything?"

"Don't push it," Sharon warned.

"Yes, Ma'am," Max gulped, and returned to his driving.

The three arrived at the residence of Leo LeBlanc about fifteen minutes after Max had suggested that they travel to his home. Leo lived near the _Centre Pompideau_, and resided in a small classic-style apartment, old enough to lack an elevator, as many older French buildings did. He lived on the top floor of eight stories, in a generously sized apartment, which was kept full of books and half-finished knitting supplies.

"Excuse me, please," said Sharon, walking off towards another section of the apartment, "I need to use the bathroom."

"Well, I'll show you—" Leo started.

"I'll find it," Sharon said quickly, vanishing from sight.

"Well, she's cheery," said Leo, "I know I usually get negative vibes from women, but she just gives me a creepy vibe…"

"You ever think you're a little too suspicious, Leo?" inquired Max, "I-I mean, she's terrific! You saw her file on Lupin! She has better records than Interpol!"

"I know…" Leo muttered, and exited into his bedroom, "Make yourself at home, Zenigata," he said to Max as he slowly removed his shoes and slid through the opening in his bedroom. Sharon was there, sifting through his closet. She stopped upon a certain item of clothing, and pulled it off of the hanger. It was a red sportsjacket.

"You'd look much better in this color, Inspector LeBlanc," said Sharon, looking over towards him and smiling. Leo nearly fell over a wastepaper basket in surprise, and gulped, "It matches the color of your face most of the times you're looking at me!" she added in a laugh.

"What in the world are you doing in my closet!?" Leo inquired.

"I wanted to see if you owned anything that wasn't in purple," she replied.

"I happen to like the color," snapped Leo in return.

"It's the color of violets," she whispered, and tossed the jacket onto the bed. She stared at Leo a long while, and took a step forward in his direction. As she took a step forward, he took a step back, and Leo panicked when he heard his heel click against the yellowed wall of his bedroom. He tensed as Sharon continued to walk towards him, and stifled a yell as she embraced him. It was only for a few moments, but to the nervous Leo, it felt like much more.

Sharon cleared her throat, and took a step back, "Well. We better get ready for tonight, then. I take it you'll be the 'third wheel', considering your partner's been trying to hit on me for the past hour and a half." And with those words, she exited.

"What in the hell was that about?" Leo inquired out loud as he watched her exit the room and walk back towards Max.

Later that night:

"Are you sure you're okay in heels? I-I mean, you never wear them," said Toshiro as he looked onward at a floundering Yukiko.

"I'm fine!" Yukiko snapped, "It can't be any worse than riding passenger on your tin can in this thing."

"So, thought you had hidden away your chubby years, huh, Fuji?" Ryo smirked.

"Ryoko, I respect you, and love you like a sister, but any mention of the chubby years is basis for me to murder you," replied Fuji with a serious frown, "Everyone know their parts, now?"

"Yep," Heiji nodded.

"And, Ryo-san, you know what to do in case of the idiots?" inquired Fuji.

"Like I know my brother," replied Ryo.

"Oh, yeah? Then who's my favorite singer?" asked Ally.

"Anyone that Dad hates," replied Ryo.

"Hot damn! She _does_ know me!" Ally laughed as they entered the ballroom where the event was being held. It was a party, followed by a silent auction for the collection. Fuji immediately separated from the group, along with Odori and Heiji. Toshiro and Yukiko were lookouts for guards. Ryo and Ally were lookouts for Zenigata and LeBlanc.

"Hey, Ryoko! It's Ari!" Ally whispered, pointing over to the inspector, who looked uncomfortable amongst the crowd. Ryo gave a small smirk, and wordlessly left Ally, and approached Leo.

"Long time no see," Ryo smirked. Leo jumped, and spun around in surprise, "Are you here for the company, or for work?"

"Y-You! We knew you'd all be here!" said Leo accusingly.

"Nope, it's just me tonight. My date stood me up, though," said Ryo with a reassuring smile, "You want to dance?"

"I don't dance… Especially with felons…"

"A felon you swore you'd marry someday…" replied Ryo, "But I see you've left me for someone else…"

"Huh? W-What are you t-talking about? I-I don't date!" Leo stuttered.

"You're cute when you're defensive," Ryo smirked and winked, "Who's that Zenigata's talking to?"

"Our new partner."

"Looks like Max is having a grand time…. And you look extremely angry about it… I'd even call it jealousy."

"R-Ryoko, I'm warning you. I-I'm not above arresting you," said Leo darkly.

"I know," Ryo sighed sadly, "I've got to run. I take a raincheck on the dance," she said, and placed a hand firmly on Leo's back, and pushed him towards her, "If you ever change your mind… Let me know…"

"Let go of me," Leo whispered. Ryo nodded, let go of her hold, and vanished before Leo could point her out to Max, not like Zenigata would have cared. He was much to busy speaking with Sharon, who humored him, but was obviously bored with looking out for Lupin.

"You see anything?" inquired Sharon.

"Nothing," Leo answered.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm not a little kid! I know what I saw and I didn't see!" snapped Leo, "I'm going to go get some punch!" He stormed off, leaving Sharon and Max together.

Leo sighed heavily as he walked over to the punch bowl and poured himself a glass. Zenigata was acting like a moron, and Sharon had distrustful eyes. What was it about her eyes exactly, though, he wondered as he sipped his punch. He choked on the bitter liquid when the auction house owner burst out and screamed frantically, 'The book's gone!'.

"Dammit, Ryo… I knew I couldn't trust you!" Leo growled, tossing his cup into the punch bowl while an aristocratic woman who was in the middle of pouring herself a glass looked onward in horror.

"That's the signal," whispered Ryo to Ally. They walked out silently, and met Toshiro and Yukiko out by the vehicles. Yukiko had an icepack over one of her ankles, and was cursing quietly.

"I freakin' hate freakin' high heels!" Yukiko grumbled.

"Hey, there's Fuji, Dori, and Heiji!" said Ally as he jumped into the car.

"Where is it?" Ryo inquired as she watched an empty-handed Fuji storm out, Odori and Heiji following gloomily behind.

"Gone!" Fuji shouted, jumping into the front seat of the Alpha Romeo, next to Ryo, "Someone stole it before us!"

"What?" Ryo gasped, "Who?"

"I don't know!" Fuji grumbled.

"LUPIN!" they heard in an echoing shout, and watched as Max barreled out of the hall, followed by Leo and Sharon, "Get back here!"

"Step on it!" Fuji demanded Ryo. Ryo turned on the vehicle, and they sped off. But the sound of a gunshot halted any need for celebration. Leo and Max looked in paled horror as they looked at Sharon, who still stood with her gun pointed towards the Alpha Romeo. The barrel was still smoking.

"Oh my God…" Leo whispered, "M-Max… I—I think she shot one of them…"

Meanwhile, in the Alpha Romeo, this proved to be too true. Odori let out a gasp of horror as she felt the blood on her shoulder—But it wasn't from her own body. It was from the person seated next to her.

"Heiji!?" Odori yelped.

"They shot me," Heiji gasped in pain, leaning downward and gritting his teeth together.

"Heiji?" Fuji looked back, "Oh my God! Ryo, step on it! We need to get him to the family doctor! Here, Odori, give him this—It'll stop the blood!" she removed her evening coat, and tossed it to Odori, who tore it into strips, and began to quell the bleeding.

"It was that woman!" shouted Odori accusingly.

"She's nuts," Ally muttered, "Who in the hell would just shoot a guy like that!?"

"No time for questions—This looks bad," Fuji gulped, "H-Hang in there, Heiji."

Ally turned around, and looked towards Yukiko and Toshiro, who drove up to their side, "What happened?" Toshiro demanded.

"Heiji's been shot," Ally explained as he heard another pained cry from Heiji, who Odori was clinging onto like a mother.

"What!?" Toshiro yelped in horror.

"Yeah—Just follow us into the hospital!" shouted Ally over the wind.

Fuji looked out of her sideview mirror shakily, and gulped. She could tell from where Heiji had been shot that that bullet had been meant for her.


	23. This Diamond Ring

DISCLAIMER: I like rice. I like Lupin. I've run out of rice, and I don't own Lupin, making things twice as sad.

Hola!

Going back to school, so expect to see less frequent updates (sorry, guys). Hope you're enjoying so far, even more fun and dysfunctional ahead (Bwahahahahahaha…..) Okay, enough evil laughter and caffeine for me—Enjoy the next chapter!

Chapter Twenty Three

A Short While Later: This Diamond Ring

'You'll be older too,

And if you say the word,

I could stay with you,'

—The Beatles, _'When I'm Sixty-Four'_

A Local Hospital:

"Wha—Oh, my shoulder…." Heiji muttered as he opened his eyes, and found his vision blurred, "Where're my glasses?"

"Here," he heard, and felt his glasses in his hand. He placed the thick black framed glasses on his face, and turned to see Odori sitting cross-legged in a chair.

"Dori? What are you doing here?" Heiji inquired.

"Watching out for you," she replied, "How do you feel?"

"Like crap…." Heiji admitted, "What happened?"

"A woman with Zenigata and LeBlanc shot you," Odori replied, "You'll be fine, don't worry… The bullet went right through you—We found it in the front seat of the Alpha Romeo."

"Dori, I'm back with lunch!" said Toshiro as he walked into the room, "Heiji! You're awake! How are you?"

"I feel like I've been shot…"

"Well, I—"

"I know, it's called sarcasm," said Heiji, putting a hand over his forehead, "How long was I out?"

"Two days," Odori answered, "You've never been so quiet, or still, so long, when a video game wasn't involved."

"Hee hee…" Heiji grumbled, "Can someone get me something to eat?"

"As long as it's on your diet," replied Toshiro, retrieving a list from a hidden pocket within his gi.

"Diet!?" Heiji yelped, "God… I think I'm going to go back into my coma now…"

"Not so fast," said Odori, "Fuji's been worried about you for days."

"Fuji's worried about me?" Heiji wondered out loud.

"Horribly. That bullet was meant for her. It would've gone through her neck—You saved her life," Toshiro said.

"I'd consider her heartless if you asked her to return the favor with a friendly date and she declined," said Odori.

"I'm not going to play the pity card!" snapped Heiji. "Toshiro, you wouldn't do that, right!?"

"Um… Hey, someone left you flowers!" said Toshiro, walking over to a nearby table, "Aren't these gorgeous!?"

"You're sad…" said Heiji with a frown.

"Sad, yet more experienced than you, Heiji," muttered Odori, "Men are all the same… They expect women to show sympathy and give in to them whenever they receive the smallest scrape or cut."

"Yeah, like you did with Miyamoto?" said Heiji, "You made puppy eyes the whole time at the guy! I thought you were going to stab yourself when you laid eyes on his girlfriend!"

"At least she has Victor," said Toshiro.

"You both suck! I'm going to the vending machines!" Odori hissed venomously, exiting the hospital room.

"That's the first time she's left since they brought you here," said Toshiro to Heiji as he watched Odori exit, "She cried…"

"Odori cried?" Heiji muttered in surprise.

"Yeah," Toshiro nodded, "And Fuji's but on a brave face, as usual, but she's been frightened, too."

"I didn't know she cared that much…. Especially after…" Heiji trailed off.

"After what?" inquired Toshiro.

"You remember Cagliostro?"

"Of course," Toshiro nodded, and seated himself in the chair that Odori had been using previously.

"I was in a closet, looking for some cable I had left behind… Fuji comes in, then Zenigata… Long story short, she kissed him."

"What?" Toshiro choked, "Are you sure!?"

"I can't forget something like that… It's been burned into my mind," muttered Heiji with a roll of the eyes, "Just don't tell anyone, all right? Our secret—And if you do tell, I won't be able to show everyone those letters you write to Yukiko but never give to her."

"Wha—I… Yeah," Toshiro nodded. He turned his head towards the door, and say Fuji in the doorway. From her cheery expression, Toshiro surmised that she had not heard their conversation.

"Heiji-chan!" Fuji gasped, "You're awake! Finally! You were in quite a deep sleep, hee hee hee…"

"And they've put me on a special diet now," Heiji grumbled.

"It's okay," Fuji leaned inward to him, "I'm the best there is—I think I can sneak in a milkshake for you."

"In what?" Heiji snorted, looking her up and down, "Anyway, how's business? Have you found our culprit yet?"

Fuji frowned, and sighed, "No… And I need your computer nerd skills to help me out…"

"Bring me a laptop, and I'll see what I can do," said Heiji.

"You won't be doing any such thing!" both looked back to see Odori had returned, "You're resting, Heiji Ishikawa! If you so much as breath near a computer within the next week, you'll have hell to pay from me!"

"Dori, please?" Fuji begged, "We really, really need his help!"

"Absolutely not," said Odori firmly, folding her arms and standing rigidly.

"She was this strict with Dad, too," sighed Heiji to Fuji, "She hid all of his weapons from him and locked them all in a closet he couldn't open… He pouted for quite a while…"

"But he's in much better health now," Odori added.

"Where's everyone else?" inquire Heiji.

"They're… Working on a different case…" Fuji coughed, "Ally's going to kill me…"

"Why?" inquired Heiji with a frown, "Fuji?"

A Parisian Club _Les Hommes_:

"She's the ugliest one up there," one man whispered to another, "Look at that nose!"

"I know… You'd think she's never worn heels before!" the other sighed.

While the two spoke to the gaudily dressed performer in a blue sequined gown and red wig, two waitresses met in the back of the club, and whispered to one another, "He's doing a good job…" Yukiko whispered.

"I know… It's scary…" Ryo whispered as she looked onward at Ally, "He's really getting to this, considering for freaked he was on having to go to drag club…"

"Did you know he knew all the words to _I Will Survive_? I didn't," Yukiko whispered, "At least this isn't as embarrassing for him as it was when he sang _Mambo Italiano _drunk at our cousin's wedding."

"Okay, enough—Back to work. I distract, you get the ruby…" whispered Ryo, picking up her tray and separating from Yukiko.

While the two waitresses and performer remained at work, three certain inspectors walked in, "Great… And me in purple…" Leo muttered.

"I didn't tell you to wear it," said Max.

"Both of you quiet. I'm sick of your bickering. If I hear so much as one peep out of either of you you'll both hear from the Commissioner!" grumbled Sharon, "Three of them are here, somewhere."

"I'll go look out by the bar," said Leo, separating and sitting at the bar. He became accustomed to the swivel chair after a few moments, and pulled out a few photos of the Lupin gang, "Excuse me, have you seen these people?" he inquired of the bartender.

"Nope," she replied in a surprisingly deep voice. Leo jerked his head back, but regained his composure, and turned to the man next to him.

"Excuse me, have you—"

"Gemini!" said the man with a laugh.

"What?"

"You're a Gemini, aren't you?"

"Please, I have a bad experience with the zodiac… Have you seen these people around?" inquired Leo with a sigh, showing him the photograph.

"No, but you know, I haven't seen you around, either," said the man, "And that is quite a shame…"

"Er…" Leo leaned back in his chair, and loosened his tie, "It's quite important, I—"

"Is that your natural hair color? It matches your eyes so well!"

"Hey, get off of him!" Max shouted, walking over to Leo.

"Sorry, didn't realize he was taken… You lucky little bitch," he replied.

"What—We're not…" Max started.

"Hee hee…Come on, Honey. We'll be late for our appointment!" Leo said as he slid off the stool, and walked away from the bar, forcing one of Max's arms over his shoulders.

"What in the hell are you doing!?" Max yelped, his face flushing red.

"Please, please help me… He wouldn't leave me alone!" Leo moaned.

"So!? You have a gun! Just say you'll shoot him!" Max whispered. Both turned at the sound of a loud crash, and looked at a slack-jawed waitress. She came to her senses after a few moments, and began to clean up her fallen dishes.

"Please, please tell me I didn't just see that…" Ryo whispered as she shut her eyes tightly and went to picking up the fallen plates, "Please tell me I didn't just see my ex-fiancé with Zenigata in a drag bar…."

"Hey, I've got it!" Yukiko whispered as she ran up to Ryo, "What's wrong?"

"Ari's here with Max!" Ryo whispered in return, "Zenigata had his arm over him!"

"What!?" Yukiko choked.

"Nevermind—Let's just get Ally and leave!" she grumbled, throwing her tray onto the floor once more and walking with Yukiko to Ally, or, as he was called there, Aleena.

"Hey, I got five phone numbers!" said Ally, "They're all from plastic surgeons, though, who want me to get a nose job…"

"We're out," Yukiko whispered, nodding to the front entrance.

"Oh, no… That creepy lady who shot Heiji's here, too!" Ally yelped, "I'll take care of her… You two get out of here."

"You sure?" inquired Yukiko.

"Yeah… I'm feeling quite empowered in these heels," Ally replied, walking towards Sharon and smiling, "So, how do you like the show?"

"Watchable," Sharon replied, "I need to know if you've seen—"

"You know, you look great—I can't even tell… Except for that mustache, though," said Ally.

"What?" Sharon inquired with a frown, "I'm not in drag!"

"You're not!?" Ally gasped, "Oh, well I'm so sorry! You'd be a great man, though!"

Sharon grumbled, "Pardon me, I'm wasting my time talking with you…" she said, pushing her way past Ally, "You look… Well, what can I say?" Sharon whispered as she brushed past Jigen.

"Perfecto," Ally chuckled, smiling. What he did not see was Sharon smiling as well. He had no idea that when she had brushed past him, she had placed a tracking device on him.

"Zenigata! LeBlanc! We're out!" Sharon yelled to them. Leo and Max fell to attention, and followed Sharon out of the club, "I put a tracking device on the perpetrators. We ought to have a clear path back out to their hideout."

"Why didn't we ever think of that?" Leo asked as he exited with Max.

"If you two were bright enough, you wouldn't need me," Sharon snapped as she pulled out a cigarette and lit it, "Pall Mall?" she offered.

"We don't allow smoking in the cruiser," said Leo.

"Usually, we don't," Max corrected quickly. Leo grumbled, and seated himself behind the passenger seat, and glowered at the two.

Back at the Paris House:

"AHH! You got it! I love you, I love you, I love you all!" Fuji squealed happily as Yukiko revealed the ruby from beneath her fedora, "It's so pretty and shiny and totally free of any zombie curses!"

"We hope," added Ally as he tore off his wig and walked into the kitchen. Toshiro was in the kitchen area, preparing dinner, and looked up and blinked at Ally a few moments in question.

"Hey, at least I don't wear a dress 24/7," said Ally with a snap as he opened one of the cabinets, "Jeeze, my back hurts! How does Fuji manage?"

"Who are you supposed to be, anyway?" inquired Toshiro.

"Aleena, and if my father's told about this they'll never find your body," Ally answered blandly, "I'm going to change into my suit… This thing's pretty drafty…"

"Dolly Parton with five 'o clock shadow," Toshiro sighed, "And Julia wondered why I went to a therapist."

"It was probably because you and your birds were arguing too much," he heard in a chuckle, and turned to see Yukiko in the kitchen area, "What're you making? Is it actually edible this time?"

"At least I've never set boiling water ablaze," Toshiro retorted, "I'm making a favorite…"

"Sushi?" said Yukiko with a roll of the eyes.

"My sushi makes people sick… I'm making chicken nuggets."

"Yum. Straight from the box," sighed Yukiko, "This is why Ally does most of the cooking, you know."

"I know," Toshiro sighed. Both grew wide-eyed as flames licked up from behind the door of the oven, and Yukiko quickly ran for the sink as the flames grew larger. She quickly filled up her fedora with water and threw it on the blaze while Toshiro batted it out with a towel.

"How about takeout?" Yukiko suggested as she and Toshiro both peered inward at the blackened coals formerly known as chicken nuggets.

"I'll pay," Toshiro responded as he shut the oven door once more.

"What do you feel like, Chinese?" Yukiko asked as she flipped open a phone book and began to scan through it. She frowned in confusion as she saw another hand place itself over the phonebook, and turned about to see she was cornered by Toshiro.

"You should go without the hat more often…" he said as he began to lean inward towards her.

"Hey, guys, I—Whoa! Busy, eh? You, uh, think you could find somewhere other than the kitchen? I mean, for crying out loud, people eat here!" Fuji laughed, "And what if my parents came in, huh?"

"Nothing was going on," Yukiko said, pushing one of Toshiro's arms aside, "Right, Toshiro? Nothing…."

"Uh… Sure," Toshiro nodded, and cringed at the glare Yukiko delivered as she walked upward to her bedroom, "I'm going to order takeout…"

"You tried to cook again, eh?" Fuji chuckled, "You know, Daddy isn't half bad at it! I wish we had Ming here… She'd make a great dinner!" She perched herself on the table, and smiled, "So, it's that bad, eh? I never would've guessed." She chuckled.

"Guessed what?" Toshiro inquired nervously.

"You know, if I were you, I would've tackled them by now, but I guess you could always take Ryo's advice and talk it out…" said Fuji.

"Ah, yes. And have the mighty squirrel sadist come in and chop me up into little bits," nodded Toshiro, "He may be a midget by my standards, but he's also a double black belt!"

"Odori's still at the hospital…" said Fuji, "You know, I could get him out of your hair for a few hours, so you can talk with her…"

"I don't know," Toshiro sighed heavily, "What's the catch?"

"You make sure you keep Odori from killing the woman who hurt Heiji," said Fuji with a smile, "I'm a thief, not a fighter…. She tried to kill me… And Heiji-chan took the bullet… But you can't kill her… I can't tell you why, but if she is hurt, a lot of people might not like Odori anymore…"

"All right, deal," Toshiro nodded.

Later that night:

"Where's everyone else?" Yukiko inquired as Toshiro led her into the living room.

"They went out to visit Heiji. Why don't you sit down with me for a little bit?" Toshiro asked, seating himself on the couch in front of a fireplace. Yukiko jumped over the back of the chair and landed next to him, and smirked as she leaned back against the couch.

"Yeah? What's on your mind?" asked Yukiko as she turned to him.

Toshiro sighed, and looked downward at his sandals, "You remember when I asked you where you'd be in ten years?"

"Yeah, I do."

"I meant, you and me," he replied.

"Oh?" Yukiko tilted her fedora upward and stared at the ceiling, "Well, I guess we'll still be friends, eh? I mean, unless one of us are dead, ha ha!"

"I certainly hope we won't be," Toshiro smirked, "Aren't you going to ask me what I see?"

"Um, sure—What the hell?" Yukiko shrugged, "Where do you see yourself in ten years, Toshiro?"

Toshiro bit his lip, and took in a shrill breath. It was now or never, "I'm hoping you'll still be with me…"

"Yeah, sure! There's a lot of Europe to cover—It'll probably take at least ten years…" said Yukiko as she leaned her fedora over her eyes.

"No, I was hoping maybe we could be staying in New York by then, um… I'd like it if you'd consider that, at least…"

"You want me to move in with you?" asked Yukiko, "That'd be cool… I mean, we could stay at your old place, or find a two-bedroom apartment… Or maybe somethin' with a guestroom. Either way, we're getting walk-in closets."

"Yeah," Toshiro coughed, "Can I ask you something, in hopes you'll still like me afterwards?"

"This is like watching a train wreck—I want to look away, but I can't," said Lupin to Fujiko as both sat in a secret room, which looked into the living room, "Maybe I should give the kid pointers, hee hee hee…"

"You'll do no such thing! We just have to watch and see where this goes…" said Fujiko.

"Glad I wasn't this shy around you…"

"Hm, I would've liked it if you had been, sometimes," Fujiko snorted.

Meanwhile, back in the living room, Yukiko still awaited for Toshiro's awkward sentence to spill out while Toshiro tried to choke out what he was trying to say, "Sometimes I think…" Toshiro started, "Do you remember, when I called, and said I was staying in New York indefinitely?"

"Um… Somewhat…" replied Yukiko, "Listen, could you just spit it out? You're making yourself look like an idiot, okay? I'm your best friend, you can tell me. Hell, you told me about my mother, and I still like you—And you slept with that idiot, and I still like you. Trust me, you can say anything to me, and we'll still be friends."

"I…" Toshiro stood up, and turned away from her, "Dammit! This shouldn't be this hard! You've been my friend forever—I guess that's why it's so hard to say! I—I want you to be with me ten years from now, I want to be with you twenty years from now—Thirty, forty! I love it that you'll call me an idiot to my face! I love it that you don't let anything get you done, and you put on a tough shell like your dad, but you're really emotional inside!"

"Are you taking this out of _When Harry Met Sally_?" inquired Yukiko after a pause, "Or are you just getting weird off of my Midol again?"

"I'm being serious!" said Toshiro, seating himself next to her. His face had reddened, and he averted his eyes from her, and gulped, "I know you like to think you're 'one of the guys'—But you're not… I really, really like you—You're my best friend, and I can talk to you about anything…"

"Except this, apparently," said Yukiko with a heavy sigh.

"I want to know if you'll take this back again, but think of it as something else," said Toshiro, removing the ring she had given him and holding it out to her.

"Are you… Asking me to marry you?" Yukiko blinked.

"Y-Yeah… Pretty much," Toshiro nodded.

"Could you excuse me for a few moments?" she chuckled lightly, and rose from the couch and walked into the kitchen. She found a half-drunken bottle of wine in the refrigerator, and she seated herself in the kitchen. She pulled out her lighter and cigarettes, sat them next to the wine bottle, and pulled out her cell phone, "Hello, Dad?"

"Yukiko? What's up?" Jigen inquired with great worry, "You sound shaky…"

"Toshiro asked me to marry him, Dad," said Yukiko, taking a swig from the wine bottle and setting it down again, "I—I don't know what to do…"

"Yuki, that's terrific!" said Jigen happily, "You'll be the first one in generations of my side of the family to get married before thirty!"

"Dad, I didn't say yes!" snapped Yukiko as she removed a cigarette from her pack and lit it, "I don't want to say yes, honestly. I just don't know how to break it to him! I think he's really serious about this! Oh my God, he's such an idiot!"

"Why not, Yuki?"

"Dad, it'd be like Ally asking me to marry him! This is so screwed up!" Yukiko moaned.

Jigen paused a while, and then spoke, "You know what, I'll listen to you, but this is a decision you'll have to make on your own. If you're as good a with him as you say you are, you ought to have no problem letting him down—If that's really what you want to do."

"I—Dad?" Yukiko gulped, "I—Okay…" she said, "I'll go talk to him… Bye, I love you…"

"Same, here," said Jigen calmly, "Good luck."

"Yeah," Yukiko hung up the phone, slid off the chair, and walked out to Toshiro, who was rambling to himself.

"I'm such an idiot…" he grumbled, "Such a big, stupid, freakin' idiot!"

"Yeah, but that's beside the point," Yukiko said. Toshiro turned, and rose, "I… I thought it over, and… It's a great offer, Toshiro… But I don't think I'm ready yet… I-I mean, you're great, really! And maybe you'll meet a really awesome girl someday… But I don't think it'll be me."

"Yukiko…. I know I'm right—I know I'm making the right choice…" he said nervously, "I just don't know what you're afraid of…"

"Listen!" she spun around, "We work as friends, but nothing else! You want kids, I hate them! You take care of birds, I eat them in steak sauce! You hate me smoking, and I hate you singing in the shower at four in the morning and waking me up!"

"I hate your smoking and your poultry abuse, but I like you," Toshiro sighed.

"I like you, too. Just not in that way. I'm sorry," she shrugged.

Toshiro leaned inward, and drew closer and closer to her, and just as he was about to kiss her, he felt a strong blow to his head.

"You lousy son of a bitch!" Ally growled venomously, "How could you take advantage of my sister like that!? I ought to freakin' kill you! I've warned you enough already!"

"Visiting hours were over—I couldn't stop him," Fuji sputtered.

"Your sister's old enough to make her own decisions—I'm sick of having to worry about your scrawny scarecrow ass wanting to murder me in my sleep!" Toshiro shouted angrily.

"Scarecrow!?" Ally yelled. Jigen went to deliver a kick to Toshiro, but Toshiro caught his leg and sent him flying over the couch. Ally rose, and jumped off of the couch, and gave Toshiro a hard uppercut. Toshiro went to return the punch, but the two heard a gunshot, and stopped immediately. They both looked over at Yukiko, who still had her gun drawn.

"I'm going up to my room…" she said slowly, "You two, can come and see me, when you both learn to FREAKIN' GROW **UP**!!" she shrieked, and ran up to her room. The Lupin gang cringed as they heard a door slam, and watched as a picture frame fell off of the wall onto the floor, and crashed into numerous sparkling glass shards.

"I think they were less destructive when they were toddlers…" Lupin said to Fujiko as the two continued to sit in their secret room.

"This is almost like an ultra-sad soap opera!" Fujiko commented, "Like the ones you secretly watch, you know?"

"I watch that one because the blonde girl's pretty!" snapped Lupin, folding his arms together and looking onward defensively.

"Hey, who's that at the door?" Fujiko inquired as she looked upward at the camera and saw three figures at the door.

"Oh my God…. It's Ari and Max and—" Lupin started, but immediately stopped.

"Who's the girl?" inquired Fujiko.

"Fujicakes, you'd never believe me if I told you," replied Lupin, standing up, and turning on the volume.

"Lupin! You're under arrest!" Max shouted, pounding at the door.

"Oh, I see another train wreck in the distance, Fujicakes," sighed Lupin as he seated himself back in his chair and watched as Fuji walked towards the door, "Fujiko, would you mind getting me the phone? I need to talk to Jigen…."

"Sure," Fujiko nodded, and handed him a telephone nearby. Lupin dialed the number, and waited for Jigen to pick up.

"I must be pret-ty damn popular tonight…" Jigen mumbled, "What's up, Lupin?"

"Jigen, you remember Sachiko?" Lupin sighed.

"Of course I do!" Jigen growled, "How could I not!?"

"Well, she's here now…" Lupin said.

"What! Lupin, she's dead!" Jigen shouted.

"Jigen, I'm telling you, she's here, and she's alive… I'll explain it all to you, but you better sit down," said Lupin tiredly.

"Lupin! Open up!" Sharon shouted, pounding on the door and drawing her gun, "We have you surrounded!"

"It's her!" Odori whispered, drawing out her sword, "And I will defend Heiji's honor, for his sake…" she said quietly.


	24. Somewhere there's a Someone

DISCLAIMER: Advertising available in this space… Please contact owner… Who does not own Lupin III, incidentally.

Que pasa?

School's going good so far—Hopefully I won't be drowned by homework and will be able to keep up on my updating. I won't abandon this thing for an entire month and sporadically update, though, I promise. I'll try my very best to keep updating consistently. Well, with that out of the way, I suppose I should start the chapter now, eh? I know you've read enough of this part where I rant or whatever…. So on with the chapter!

Chapter Twenty Four

Moments Later: Somewhere there's a Someone

__

' I know this love of mine,

will never die,

and I love her,'

—The Beatles, _'And I love Her'_

"Odori, don't!" Toshiro shouted, "You can't!"

"Why can't I!?" Odori returned, "She tried to kill my employer, and she nearly killed our brother in the process! As a samurai and as a sibling, I must defend their honor!"

"No, I promised that you would not kill her!" said Toshiro as he grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her away from the door.

"We can't get in…" Max whispered from the other side of the door, "What are we going to do?"

"Follow me," Leo nodded, and Zenigata and Long out back to a large tree.

"Where have I seen this before?" Max wondered out loud, turning his head to a side, "Talk about déjà vu…"

"What's wrong, Zenigata?" Sharon inquired.

"Oh, nothing, nothing," said Max, shaking his head.

"Follow me!" Leo whispered, jumping up onto the tree and climbing up to the closest window. Max and then Sharon followed upward onto the tree, and followed Leo in through the window. They both stepped dead as they found Leo being held at gunpoint by Yukiko.

"Put down the gun!" Sharon ordered, glaring at Yukiko.

__

'They both look really serious about this…' Leo thought with a dry gulp as he stared back and forth at the two, _'I can't believe I'm raiding my own home!'_

"Sachiko, Yukiko, put down the guns!" they both heard, and turned to see a darkened figure standing in the now-opened doorway, "This house has been torn up enough for one night! I'm going to have to repair a door and replace an original Monet and Lautrec as it is!" The figure stepped out of the shadows, and proved to be none other than Lupin the Third, along with Fuji Lupin at his side. Leo stiffened as he caught sight of Lupin, and the ex-thief smirked as he made eye contact with Leo briefly.

"Lupin…" Sharon whispered, and let her gun hang at her side, "Y-You…"

"Sachiko, Jigen knows," Lupin nodded, "I called him earlier today. He knows everything, and he understands…. And I do, too. And I'm sure everyone else will, too."

"No!" she drew up her gun shakily, "If-If this gets out, I'll be ruined!" All watched as Leo kicked upward and the gun flew out of Sharon's grasp. Max was perhaps the most surprised by this maneuver, and this shock could be read on his already surprised expression, "No… L-Lupin, you, you promised you wouldn't tell anyone! What will my boss say, what will my fiancé say!?"

"Your fiancé?" Max yelped.

"But you went a little too far when you tried to kill my daughter, Sachiko," said Lupin, "I know you've been wanting to protect your secret from your bosses and from your boyfriend, but that's a little bit overkill…"

"You!" Odori burst through the dual Lupins, and drew her sword at Sharon, "You nearly killed my brother! Now you will pay for your sins in blood!"

"Dori!" Toshiro and Ryo ran in, followed by Ally.

"Odori Ishikawa, I command you as your older brother to drop down that blade!" said Toshiro sternly.

"Heiji wouldn't want you to kill anyone, Odori!" said Ally.

"They're right. Drop the sword," said Ryo calmly.

"No!" Odori replied, and went to pierce Sharon, but instead was incapacitated by Ally with a few quick martial arts moves.

"I…I'm so sorry…" Sharon whispered, falling onto her knees and weeping.

"It's all right—You were just doing as you were trained," Lupin whispered, taking a few steps forward and removing his jacket. He laid it over Sharon's shoulders, and lifted her head upward to become eye-level with her, "Now, you calm down now, all right? I'm sure everyone will understand why you did what you did when you explain everything… Ming and Jigen will be so happy to see you, Sachiko!"

"I… They don't even know me! They never looked for me!" Sharon moaned, clinging onto Lupin, "They… They never even…"

"That's because they that you had died a long, long time ago, Baby," said Lupin with a sad smile, "Those people who kidnapped you were very, very good… They bribed everyone into thinking you were dead! They had no idea!"

"Lupin, you're under arrest!" Max snapped suddenly.

"Can it!" Ryo growled, glaring at Max.

__

'That glare! That's were I've seen it before!' Leo thought with wide-eyed shock, _'But could she really be…?"_

"You want to explain what's going on?" asked Yukiko, looking over to Fuji suspiciously, "I have a feeling you're in on this, as usual."

"Sharon Long wasn't always Sharon Long," said Fuji, "Ally, Yuki, Ryo… You remember when Ming had a miscarriage, and swore you all to never to talk about it again? That's why she's so happy to be pregnant again…"

"What does that have to do with this bitch?" Ally snapped.

"Jigen ruined Lucky Liciano's life and career after he tried to claim he was Yukiko's dad—Sent him down the river for life…The Luciano clan got back at the Capone clan by stealing one of their own, and training them to be a Mafia killer… I did some research, and found out that she had left the Lucianos and changed her name to Long, and joined the Interpol police, and began to get her life on track… Then, inevitably, someone found out… She was afraid that I'd spill her little secret, so she tried to off me out of desperation…" Fuji explained with a heavy sigh of exhaustion while Ally, Ryo and Yukiko all looked downward at Sharon in utter shock.

"Wait, but…" Leo started, and looked downward at her. If she had tried to kill Fuji, why had she hugged him?

"Your father was the one who helped me escape from the Lucianos…Fujiko, I so sorry I tried to hurt you… I was just so scared!" Sharon wept, "I had already hidden my identity once with Lupin's help… I just couldn't leave my life again…. I had finally perfected it! Inspector LeBlanc, Inspector Zenigata, arrest me, I beg you… I stole that book with all of the letters… It contained letters, which revealed my identity… I thought once Fuji found it, she'd have concrete proof of who I was, and she'd pass it along to Yukiko and Ryoko and Daisuke… And I'd be known as the sister of three of the worst criminals on Earth!"

"Sister?" Yukiko muttered, shaking her head. This was all too much for one night for her to take.

"There, there, Sachiko. I'm sure that maybe with a few apologies, you'll be in the red again," said Lupin reassuringly, "And I think it'd be a good idea if you sent Heiji some flowers or a balloon, or maybe chocolate… The kid likes to eat…"

"But she stole that book!" Max yelled defensively.

Lupin rose, and smiled, "And as the oldest member of the Lupin clan with political amnesty granted to me by the country of France, it's my property—And I decline to press any charges against Sachiko Jigen."

"B-But you can't do that!" Max yelped, "That isn't fair!"

"Oh, but I can, and it is," said Lupin with a smile as he put his hands in his pockets, "I'm the darling of the government of UN, it seems… The U.S. doesn't love them for it, of course, but what's so new about that? I did save the world from a crazed bomber, and that's why Goemon, Fujicakes, Amaya, Ming, Jigen and myself all live in relative peacefulness, with days full of Poker and soap operas…"

"Crap," Max gritted his teeth together, and clutched his handcuffs in his pocket, "You play a good game, Mr. Lupin."

"That's because I'm the best, Inspector Zenigata. And I'll admit, you play a pretty good game, yourself," said Lupin with a wink, "Hey, since I called your dad 'Pops', should I call you 'Kid'?"

"Only if I can call you 'Pops'," Max retorted, "Sh-Er, Sachiko, will you be all right?" he inquired, looking downward at her.

"Yes," Sharon nodded, "I—I lost, I know…"

__

'He wouldn't have even arrested her! He was trying to use that as her escape!' Leo realized as he read Max's expression.

"Hey," Ryo kneeled downward in front of her, "You know, you may not like to admit it, but we'll still accept you, if you want. Mom and Dad would love to see you…"

"I just need to take time," Sharon sniffed, "You… You look a lot like a photo of mother that I have… And Daisuke looks a lot like father…"

"LeBlanc, I'm going to go wrap this up in the car… We can't arrest Lupin when she's on this piece of land, as much as it pains me to say to you…. Just like in Cagliostro, Bermuda and Switzerland… Crap…" said Max as he rose from the floor and walked towards the exit.

"All right," Leo nodded, and watched as Max exited out of the door sadly. In truth, Zenigata no longer felt like arresting anyone, for the moment. He was still getting over the shock that Sharon had a fiancé. After everything he had said to her, she was the enemy… And she was eventually going to be married….

"Hey," Leo walked over to Sharon as she rose, "I have a question…" he whispered, "Why did you…?"

"Hug you?" Sharon smirked in a bittersweet way, "Because you too know what it's like to try to hide a past… I knew who you were immediately… You may not act like your father in many ways, but you both share a single trait—You're both very kind. Thank you very much, Inspector LeBlanc. Take good care of your partner; I'm very sorry if I hurt his feelings in way…. I never meant to hurt anyone, honestly…"

"Good luck in life, Sachiko. I hope you do a better job of getting your life together than I did," Leo nodded as he also began to exit the bedroom.

"Oh, Inspector LeBlanc," Lupin called, and Leo turned to face him, "Good luck out there… And stay safe… Your parents probably worry about you every day when you're out there."

"I'm sure they do, Sir," Leo nodded, and exited out of the bedroom and out of the household. He walked out of the house, and looked back once more. He hopped into Max's police cruiser, where a depressed Zenigata sat in the passenger seat.

__

'That poor son of a gun…' Leo thought sadly as he turned the key to the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot.

"I can't believe this…" Max said, shaking his head, "I just can't believe this…."

"Do you… Want to talk about it?" inquired Leo.

"Not really," Max sighed, looking out of the car window as Leo exited the property

Two Weeks Later, Interpol Headquarters:

"Hey, got the cast off?" Max said with a weak attempt at a smile as he watched Leo enter their office, which LeBlanc had formerly resided in by himself, "How does your hand feel?"

"Very relieved," Leo replied as he flexed his arm a few times, "I can only lift so much at a time, though… I won't be weight lifting anytime soon, I'm willing to bet—Unless it's pillows." Leo's smile turned into a frown as he noticed Max's solemn expression, and he sighed and seated himself at the edge of Zenigata's desk, "Still aching?"

"Never was," replied Max as he flipped through an open paper file and highlighted several areas with a yellow marker, "It was unprofessional, I know. One of the worst things to do is get involved with a partner… It just causes complications down the road, and I should have seem that…"

"You can't help feelings, or the fact that you're a natural blonde, and therefore an airhead," Leo shrugged, "I might not seem like it, but I've been down your road, too. Come on, where's that egotistical, big-headed egomaniac who misplaces all of my files and manages to leave coffee rings all over my desk every morning and rants for no apparent reason?"

"He's on vacation…" Max answered in a mumble as he continued to high light. He discontinued his highlighting, however, when two tickets fell upon his file.

"Speaking of vacation…" Leo started, and looked downward with a hopeful smile, "I think we both need a vacation… You can hit the bar, and I can go out by the pool. What do you say?"

"LeBlanc, you know we're too busy with Lupin," Max sighed, "Thanks for the thought, but why don't you take a friend?"

"No--One, because I have no other friends other than you, and two, because you're depressed, and I'm sick of having you moping around the office while we wait to hear more from Lupin… I'm the moper of us—You're taking my job, Max!"

"Well I'm sorry that I have feelings…" Max muttered bitterly.

"You sound so much like your dad…" said Leo with disgust.

Max immediately halted highlighting, and looked over his glasses at Leo, "So… It's a cruise…?"

"Uh-huh… The Greek Isles…" Leo explained, "Maybe you'll make some friends on there, huh?"

"What about you? I thought you hated places with too many people…" Max wondered aloud.

"I do," Max shrugged, "But you looking so pathetic is bothering me more than the people I'll probably meet will…"

"I look that pathetic?" Max chuckled.

"You look awful," replied Leo with a wry smile.

"All right, then… I'll go," Max nodded, and rose, "I'll go get my suitcase packed!"

"Are you still living in that hotel?" Leo inquired as he jumped off of Max's desk and walked with Zenigata.

"Um… Yeah," Max replied, somewhat embarrassed, "I haven't been able to find an apartment in my budget…"

"You know, you should get a place where you could put your stuff somewhere when you're not there, and not worry about a huge rent… Maybe if you moved in with someone who had an extra room he's cleaned up recently and is looking for a roommate to split rent with."

"What? You mean… You? As much as I nag and bicker and henpeck, you're asking me to move in with you?" Max choked.

"Well, if you don't want to…."

"No! I-I mean, I really do want to," Max nodded. In the unsaid truth, the fact was that the people who ran the hotel Max had stayed at were sick of him taking up space and not being able to ever make payment on time, "Why, though?"

"You're my friend, and you'd do it for me," Leo responded, breaking into his walk once more, but now with an even more satisfied smile upon his face. And, in the unsaid truth, the fact was that Leo had seen a nasty note that one of the hotel managers had given Zenigata a few weeks ago, and had felt sorry for him.

"Thanks, Leo…"

"Eh, don't mention it, please!" Leo replied, smiling and chuckling shyly, "It's no problem! As long as you don't play your music too loud, you'll get along the management great!"

"Well, I'll move in tonight, if that's okay," said Max, "All of my stuff's in my car, anyway!" This was because he had been evicted that morning, but he said nothing of this.

"All right," Leo nodded, and watched as Max walked out of the office towards his car, "Well, this is perfect…" Leo smiled, and turned back into his office, "Everything's coming together…. I only could've wished I could've been this good at being a thief…" Leo muttered as he walked back into his office.

Later that Night, Leo's Apartment:

"I can't believe you cook…" said Leo as he sat in his kitchen and watched Max flitter about the kitchen, "I can't even boil water, personally…"

"_That's_ why you have so many TV dinners!" Max nodded in realization as he opened the oven and peered in, "Well, that ought to be done in a little while…" He seated himself across from Leo and set a blue-and-white checkered dishtowel down on the small wooden table in between them in a corner of the old kitchen. "Your kitchen's wonderful…"

"That's because I never use anything in it," replied Leo.

"You never learned how to cook?"

"I never had to," replied Leo, "We had people who cooked for us, growing up."

"So you grew up with maids and butlers?"

"Maids, butlers, chauffeurs, tutors," Leo trailed off, "List goes on and on…. I have to go pick up some books from the store later—I'm trying to learn Dutch…"

"I don't see how you do it… I flunked out of high school Spanish… And I had a Rabbi laugh at me when I spoke to him in Hebrew… He said I sounded like I was a Gentile with gum in my mouth…" Max sighed.

"I'll be back in a little while…" Leo rose, and removed his reading glasses from his pocket, "See you in a little while, Zenigata."

"Yeah—Bye, LeBlanc," Max replied as Leo exited, leaving the door unlocked.

It was about five minutes later when Max heard the door open and close again, "Hey, you're in time!" said Max as he heard someone enter the kitchen, "I'm all finished with the—"

"Hello, Inspector Zenigata…" said Sharon as she stood in the doorway of the kitchen.

__

'She's here, and I'm in an apron…' Max thought as he stood there in position, a large baked fish which he had just removed from the oven still in his hands, "Um… Hi… Sharon…"

"Sachiko," she corrected, and sighed, "How are you?"

"Great," he replied as he set the fish on the stove top and turned back to her, "How about yourself?"

"Well, things have been better," she sighed, "I told my fiancé, and my boss… I am now single and unemployed… But I feel better than I did before…"

"Really? So, what are you going to do now?" Max inquired worriedly as he seated himself at the kitchen table. Sachiko seated herself, and looked downward at her hands.

"I'm moving to Chicago… Mom and Da—Li Yan and Daisuke…. Both offered me a job in a store they run…. I'll be starting over again, but I'm starting to believe it's for the best…" she replied with a sigh, "I just wanted to say good-bye before I left…"

"Yeah," Max nodded, "Well, I'll be living here from now on, if you want to send a postcard…"

"So, you'll still speak with me, even after…"

"Just because your parents were one thing, it doesn't mean you have to be it, too," said Max, "I learned that a long, long time ago… You're a good person, and just because your family isn't the best doesn't mean you're not a decent human being…"

"Thank you for your kind words," Sachiko nodded, "I'll always remember them, I promise you."

"Would you like to stay for dinner? I made French bread earlier today… It's pretty good!" said Max hopefully.

"I regret to say that I can't," Sachiko sighed, "My flight leaves in an hour… I just felt wrong about leaving without saying good-bye, first…"

"Well, it's great that you came by," Max smiled sadly, "Keep in touch, all right? And good luck."

"Yes," Sachiko rose, and Max led her out to the front door, "I'll see you around, Inspector Zenigata."

"Max, please," he said with a smile.

"Max," she repeated, and laughed lightly, "See you around, Max…"

"Good-bye…" Max leaned inward, and kissed her. Sachiko smiled and shook her head as she parted, and Max watched as she walked down the hall and down the stairs. As she walked down the stairs, Leo was scaling up the stairs, carrying a few new books in a hand which his good hand carried.

"Have company?" Leo inquired as he stood in front of his doorway and noted Max's expression.

"Yeah," Max nodded, "I did… You know, I hope someday you know what sort of experience I had, LeBlanc."

"Oh, pain, betrayal, heartache… Yeah, me too… It just kills me that you sat around depressed while I had to sit around and be happy with my life!" said Leo, "Why you lucky fella, you!"

Max muttered something unintelligible but more than likely rude, and stepped aside to let Leo pass, "Zenigata, I've known more of what you're going through than you could ever imagine… That's why I helped you out…" Leo said to himself as he walked into his bedroom with his latest haul of books.

The Lupin Mansion:

"You sure this'll work?" Toshiro asked Lupin worriedly as he looked to his left at the thief, who was standing beside him in the darkened hall. Both were looking out at the living room, where Yukiko sat.

"Yep," Lupin nodded, "And if it doesn't, how much can it be than her shooting you down, huh?"

"Well, she could actually shoot me…"

Lupin paused, "I wouldn't hold it against her, considering who her dad is, but all the same… It's worth a shot… You ready?"

"Yeah, I guess," Toshiro replied.

"Then get out there!" said Lupin in a whisper, pushing Toshiro out of the hall and into the living room.

"Yukiko… Hi…." Toshiro smiled awkwardly.

"Hey, what's up?" she inquired, looking over the couch at him, "I was just getting a little sleep…"

"Yeah, I see that," he smirked, and seated himself on the back of the couch, "I wanted to speak with you about…"

"A few weeks ago?"

"Yeah," he nodded, "I know that maybe I jumped too fast… And I can't blame you for reacting the way you did…. I'm sorry that I did that… But I would like to talk to you about a similar subject…"

"Oh my God, Toshiro, what's there not to get!?" Yukiko moaned, lying back onto the couch and putting a pillow over her face, "I don't want—"

"Me either," said Toshiro quickly, "Not yet, anyway. But if it were all right, I'd like to perhaps advance the relationship…"

"Wha?"

"Nothing serious, nothing like that!" he said, throwing his hands up defensively, "I just… I want to at least take you out once…."

"Like on a date?"

"Please, just one chance—And if your answer's still no, then we'll keep it at that, and I'll never mention it again! On my honor, I won't!"

"And if my answer's yes?"

"There's a chance it will be yes!?"

"I'm being hypothetical," replied Yukiko.

"Well… Then we'll see where we go from there, I suppose," he shrugged, "Well, what do you say?"

"I, well…" Yukiko scratched the back of her head, and thought a while silently before glancing back upward at Toshiro, "I guess one won't hurt… And the chance that you'll knock this crap off is too good to pass up, so what the hell?"

"Great! I'll go start the Vespa!"

"Woah, what—Now!? You want to go now!?"

"Well, your brother's on the phone, so we might as well, when his guard's down…"

"I guess you have a point there…. He's starting to concern me with the army sniper fortress he's made on the third floor balcony…"

"Fujiko's less than amused…. That's where she entertains," said Toshiro as he rose off of the couch, "Come on, let's get going!"

"All right, all right! Yeesh!" Yukiko grumbled as she rose off of the couch and walked out of the house with him. She boarded his Vespa after he had seated himself, and both rode to a nearby bridge, which overlooked the Seine.

"Wow," Yukiko whistled as she hopped off of the motorcycle and moved the fedora brim over her eyes upward, "This is really something else! I can see the Eiffel Tower from here!"

"Yes," Toshiro nodded as he placed himself next to her, "It's not New York, but it's beautiful…"

"Yeah—This place is sort of like Barcelona, in a lot of ways…" said Yukiko as she looked over to Toshiro, "You still miss New York?"

"Immensely," replied Toshiro, "But I can find other things to make me feel at home, no matter where I am."

"Well, it's good you don't feel homesick," Yukiko chuckled lightly, "I know I miss Chicago sometimes… I'd like to go back, but I know I've got to stay…" She looked back at Toshiro once again, and noted he was much closer to her than before.

"At least I can feel at home sometimes," he said as he embraced her. Yukiko immediately tensed, and looked upward at him nervously. He leaned downward, and set all of his fears aside as he kissed her. Yukiko blinked a few times in surprise, and backed herself against the bridge, and seated herself upon the wide stone ledge.

"Well…" Yukiko cleared her throat. What was she supposed to say to that? She had no witty comment or sarcastic anecdote to add to what he had just done.

"Are you going to be all right?" Toshiro inquired worriedly.

"I, uh… Why don't we get back?" Yukiko asked, tilting her hat upward and twitching a nervous smile.

"Sounds good. I'll buy you a drink," said Toshiro, helping her up from the ledge and walking over to the Vespa with her. Both seated themselves on the vehicle, and drove back to the Lupin residence. Yukiko picked out a good year vintage Chardonnay from the wine cellar below, and retrieved two wineglasses, and walked up the stairs to where Toshiro was in his room. The samurai had seated himself at the table in his bedroom, and looked towards the doorway as she entered.

"I ducked Ally… He's on guard duty," Yukiko said as she slowly shut the door with the heel of her shoe and advanced towards Toshiro, "He's really missing Heiji. Those two bonded on a lot of levels… They were almost like brothers!"

"I'm glad Ally likes someone," Toshiro grumbled, "He still hates me."

"Can you blame him, honestly?" Yukiko inquired as she popped the cork and poured two even glasses, "The little guy doesn't want anyone around his sister! How would you feel if someone acted like you do with Odori?"

"He's called Victor," said Toshiro blatantly.

"Hm, true," Yukiko nodded, and stared into her wine glass, "Ah, what a good year… This is some of the best stuff, ever! I could probably go through the whole damn bottle myself!"

"You're nervous, aren't you?" sighed Toshiro as he sipped his wine and cringed at the strength of it. How did Yukiko manage to drink this stuff!?

"About what?" Yukiko inquired.

"Everything… You, me, work, family, friends…." Toshiro trailed off, "In all honesty, I'm extremely nervous, too… I've fought bank robbers, the Mafia, Triads, ninjas, psychotics, etc., etc… Yes this is probably the most afraid I've ever been. I don't know why, either. It's irrational. You're my friend, and you've been with me through so much…"

"Well, I'm really sorry it's so hard for you," Yukiko shrugged, "But you don't seem to understand that I couldn't give you what you're looking for. I'm sorry, but it's the honest truth… You want a quiet little docile girl, right?"

"No, I want someone who's loud-mouthed, arrogant and smokes and drinks more than she breathes! I had a grandmother who told me everything I wanted for ten years of my life, Yuki—I don't need someone telling me now," said Toshiro, "I know it wouldn't be a normal relationship, and I don't expect you to drop everything so we could start a family!"

"B-But what if I get pregnant, huh? I mean, I won't be able to drink, smoke—I shouldn't really shoot in a condition like that!" said Yukiko.

"We'll worry about that when the time comes," Toshiro sighed, "I don't even want to think about kids right now…"

"You don't?" Yukiko raised her eyebrows in surprise.

"Not in the least," Toshiro shook his head, "We don't have to get married, or buy a house, or a car, or settle somewhere in West Palm Beach. I just want you to be there for me as a guarantee, all of the time!"

Yukiko smiled, rose, and looked downward at him. Toshiro watched as she removed her fedora from her head, and placed it on his own, and looked downward at her handiwork, "It'd be one hell of a kid, I'm sure."

"Where're you going?" Toshiro asked as Yukiko began to walk out of the room.

"I'm goin' to sleep! I'm exhausted!" Yukiko yawned.

"Wait, Yuki!"

"Yeah?" she turned back to face him.

"Yes, or no?"

Yukiko stood back on her heels a little while in contemplation before looking back to him, "Maybe…." she shook her head as she watched his seemingly hurt expression, "But it's not 'no'… Hee hee… Big idiot… Seeya in the morn'!"

"Yeah, seeya," Toshiro nodded numbly, and waited to crack a smile until she exited the room.


	25. Shine on you Crazy Diamond

DISCLAIMER: I… Um… Own Lupin III… Yeah, had the rights all along. (P.S.: I'm lying).

Bounjourno!

Had quite a scare, in the form of a natural disaster… It missed us though, thank God…. And this chapter's going to those who weren't as lucky as me. This is for you, guys. Well, on another note, still going strong, even though school is now in full swing. I hope to keep the chapters going as they are as is, and I hope to also keep quality value on the high. As always, reviews are graciously accepted.

Chapter Twenty Five

A Little While Later: Shine on you Crazy Diamond

__

'Lucy in the sky with diamonds,

Lucy in the sky with diamonds,

Ah ah,'

–The Beatles, _'Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds'_

A Cocktail Party in Amsterdam:

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, for my next trick!" said the hypnotist as he stood in front of a large well-to-do crowd on a stage, all eyes fixed upon him, "For this, I will need a member of the audience! You, Sir!"

"Me!?" a man choked, pointing to himself in surprise. The hypnotist nodded, and watched as the man scaled up the stairs on the side of the stage and stood next to him.

"This ought to be interesting…" Max whispered to Leo as both stood in the back of the ballroom and watched from afar, "You believe in this stuff, LeBlanc?"

"It's just a lot of clever mind-work," Leo answered quietly as he watched the hypnotist convince the man that he was a chicken. The audience laughed as he came to and found he had no memory of the incident. The audience clapped, and the hypnotist took a large bow.

"Kind of funny they'd hire a hypnotist," Max smirked as he stretched, "After all, the diamond that they're showing here is said to be able to hypnotist at the right angle… That'd probably why Lupin left a note saying she'd come for it…"

"They don't seem worried…" Leo realized as he looked about at the crowd, "They don't seem worried about her in the least…"

"That's because they know that we're on the job!" Max smiled.

"That's even more unsettling…" Leo muttered as he put his hands in his pockets and stared about.

"You, Sir!" the two snapped their heads in the directions of the hypnotist, "In the purple sports-jacket! Come here, will you?"

"Well, I," Leo looked downward, "I'm a little stage-shy, Sir!" Leo chuckled.

"Nonsense! We will cure you of that instantly!" said the hypnotist, "Now, come, will you?"

"Well, I…"

"Hey, why not? This could be fun!" Max whispered, nudging Leo.

"You just want to see me act like a chicken…" said Leo annoyedly.

"You already do that. This could be fun!" Max said with an excited smile, "Go on ahead!" Leo looked over at Max, and walked up the stage, to where the hypnotist stood.

"There's no way he'll be able to crack me…" Leo muttered as he stood next to the performer, "Dad taught me all about this stuff…."

"Now, Mr…."

"LeBlanc. Leo LeBlanc."

"Yes, Mr. LeBlanc! I want you to stare into this pendulum, and keep your eyes fixed upon it…" said the hypnotist, removing a crystal from his pocket and holding it out in front of Leo, "Now, look into it…"

What a bunch of…. Wow… It's really deep…. Thought Leo as he stared into the crystal, breathless. As the pendulum began to sway back and forth quietly, making low swooping noises, Leo felt himself calm, and fell into a numb sleep-like state.

"Now, as you see, this man is now under my control!" said the hypnotist, "At the sound of my fingers snapping, you will be the celebrity who had the greatest impact upon your life…. Ready? One, two, three!" the hypnotist snapped his fingers, and Leo came to, but had seemed to have totally changed. A large, nearly wicked smile crossed his face as he looked downward at a young woman who was staring back upward at him.

"Hello, there, Sir," said the hypnotist. Leo turned his attention to the hypnotist, and chuckled.

"Hey, can't you see I'm a little busy?" Leo inquired.

"Busy with what, Sir?" inquired the hypnotist.

"Trying to figure out the best angle to look down her dress," Leo chuckled in return. Max's jaw dropped, and the young woman gasped. Leo looked downward, and laughed, "Hey, don't take it the wrong way, Baby. What do you say I take you out for a spin after this? My girl left me again, and I'm feeling a little lonely… What do you say? No? Well, that's okay… A little loneliness never hurt a guy… Just made them a little cranky… Ah, I see something that'll put me in a good mood again!"

Max watched in shock as Leo jumped off of the stage onto a neighboring table, and ran across the table, jumped, and flew over the security of the diamond, "Very nice…. Better looking than you by tenfold, Babe!"

"Hey, that's enough!" Max shouted angrily, and perhaps even a little desperately.

"Very well," the hypnotist sighed, and clapped his hands together, "And right before he was to tell us who he was…"

"W-What am I doing here?" Leo asked in mild confusion as he looked about his surroundings. He was even more surprised as a woman approached him and slapped him across the face, "What in the world?" he wondered aloud as he rubbed his soar cheek.

"Here," Max sighed, helping him out of the security ropes about the diamond.

"Max, what happened?" inquired Leo, "Why did that woman just slap me?"

"It's a long story…" Max sighed, "Are you okay?"

"Yeah," Leo nodded, "Why are you looking at me like that?"

"N-No reason!" replied Max, "Let's keep on patrol… We've had enough fun for one night…"

"Okay," Leo nodded, and walked to the back of the room with Max, who was quite shaken by Leo's performance. Where had he seen such a performance before?

"Wonder why Lupin hasn't shown yet…" Max muttered.

Outside:

"Where in the hell are they!?" Fuji growled, looking over at the others, who shrugged in response, "Every Friday, it's the same thing! They go out Friday and get drunk and come back Saturday with headaches and hangover-induced vomiting!"

"It's all right. We don't really need them, anyway," Ryo sighed, "Let's just get this show on the road, okay?"

"Yeah," Fuji nodded, and looked down at the sewer lid below her feet, "Gentlemen? Ladies?"

"The things I do for a paycheck…" Odori grumbled as she uncovered the manhole and scaled down the steps, followed by Fuji and Ally.

"Is everything else in place, Heiji?" Ryo inquired.

"Yeah," Heiji nodded, "You get to work on Zenigata and Leo's car," he said.

"Uh-huh," she ran off into the night, leaving Ishikawa to his own devices.

Everyone was too surprised by an automobile bursting into flames to notice a hole in the floor, freshly carved by Zantetsu. Ally and Fuji lifted themselves off, and Ally short-circuited the alarm whilst Fuji removed the diamond from its case via glasscutter. They were out by the time anyone bothered to look back.

"Great job, Ryo!" said Heiji through his headphones.

"Hey, that bomb worked like a charm, Heiji!" Ryo answered through the headphones, "Timed perfectly!"

"Fuji, can you hear me?" Heiji inquired.

"Yeah, loud and clear. We're coming back now, a little richer, too!" said Fuji cheerily through her headphones.

"My damn car!" Max shrieked as he and Leo ran out to view their vehicle, "They blew up my damn car! Lupin!"

"'Scuse me, police!" said Leo politely yet hurriedly as he pulled a driver out of a nearby Mercedes Benz and hopped in the driver's seat, "Zenigata! Come on!"

"Great thinking, LeBlanc!" shouted Max and he jumped into the car, "Follow that Alfa Romeo!" he shouted as Fuji and company took off. Leo floored the gas, and the two vehicles went zooming down the nighttime streets.

"Wow, no wonder he won the Monaco Grand Prix when he was only seventeen!" said Ally as he looked in his rearview.

"The sad thing is I'm the one who taught him how to drive like that!" Ryo added.

"Well, we'll see about them…" Ally said as he removed a gun from his belt and fired a shot, blowing away one of their tires and sending both flying into a diner window.

"I… hate… them…." Max muttered to Leo, still dazed.

A street Amsterdam:

"They have wonderful fashion here, don't you think, Yuki?" said Toshiro as he glanced into a shop window and smiled.

"I'm not one for fashion," Yukiko shrugged, "But it ain't half bad… I hear that the fast food here is to die for…"

"Look at this shop," Toshiro said, stopping in front of another large glass window and looking inside. Yukiko looked in horror at the window as she saw it was full of tuxedos and bridal gowns, and quickly lit a cigarette with her shaky hands.

"What's wrong? You're pale! I didn't scare you, did I?" Toshiro laughed, "Sorry… You look good in white, though."

Yukiko nearly swallowed her cigarette at Toshiro's comment, and let out a long, staged, nervous laugh in response, "Er, yeah… Well, it makes me look good!"

"Yes, it does," nodded Toshiro. He turned to her, and put an arm around her waist, drawing her closer. Yukiko quickly managed to squirm out of this hold, however, and lit another cigarette hurriedly.

"Uh, I'm not feeling so good… How about we hit the bars, eh?" she suggested hopefully, "I hear that not only to they have great fast food, they have great booze, too!"

"Yuki—"

"Yeah? What?" Yukiko asked.

"You… You seem really apprehensive…"

"Me!? Ha ha, no way! I'm great, I'm gold!" replied Yukiko, tilting her fedora downward over her eyes, "How about you, huh? You've seemed a little jumpy, yourself!"

"Hm… I think you're right about the booze…" said Toshiro after a pause.

"I'm right? Tee hee, what's new?" Yukiko replied with a laugh, patting him on the back and continuing to walk down the street with her friend.

"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable again, Yukiko," said Toshiro, looking over at another store, "You don't have to lie—You've been acting strangely ever since France."

"I guess it's still a little weird," Yukiko shrugged, seating herself on a bench.

Toshiro sat next to her, and glanced at her, "I'm guessing it's still a maybe, right?"

"You guessed right," said Yukiko, "I wa—Hey, look on the TV!" she laughed.

"Hm?" Toshiro looked across the street at a television store, where an American awards show was being shown, "What is it?"

"The category's 'Best Broadway Performance'. It's an American arts show," said Yukiko, "The lead guy looks like you!"

"Really? What's his name?" inquired Toshiro, slowly scooting closer towards Yukiko and stretching, allowing one of his arms to fall back against the back of the chair, behind her.

"Um…. Tommy Isaac," replied Yukiko, squinting inward to read the name. Toshiro choked, and nearly fell off of the bench, "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I… I'm Tommy Isaac… It-It's a stagename," Toshiro coughed uncomfortably.

"Your nickname is 'Tommy'!?" Yukiko whooped in laughter, "Ha ha HA! Oh, oh my God, I can't friggin' breath!"

"It's all of those damn cigarettes you puff," Toshiro grumbled, "Hey, it's sort of close to Toshiro!"

"Yeah, okay, whatever helps you sleep at night! Tommy, ha ha!" Yukiko laughed as she wiped tears of laughter out of her eyes, "Isaac! Yeah, you look like an Isaac and I look like Jean Harlow!"

"Why don't we make a wager?" Toshiro smirked slyly.

"Hm? A gamble? I'm game…. Okay, what?" asked Yukiko intently.

"If I lose, I go to one of those gun shows you're always trying to drag me to," said Toshiro.

"No—You lose, you eat a plate of chicken," Yukiko smiled widely.

Toshiro shuddered in disgust, "Well, all right…"

"And what if you win? What do I do?" asked Yukiko.

"You allow me to escort you on another date—And you wear a dress to it, this time," said Toshiro.

"Woah, what!?" Yukiko yelped, "Nah-ah. That's just crazy talk, there!"

"Come on, Yukiko Jigen, are you chicken?" Toshiro chuckled, "I think you are!"

"What!? I ain't no chicken! Bet's on!" snapped Yukiko, "And I hope you like your chicken with a side of gravy!"

"And the winner is… The Brooklyn Theater Group's Rendition of _Miss Saigon_!" proclaimed the announcer.

"That's me. Looks like I win," Toshiro said smugly, turning to a defeated Yukiko.

"Dammit," she grumbled, "Dammit!"

"You know, you'd look really nice in something black…" started Toshiro.

"If you say another word I'll rip your tongue out through your throat," Yukiko grumbled, sitting back on the chair and staring darkly at the television, wishing the announcer dead.

Another hotel, that same evening:

"Why haven't you told me what I did yet?" Leo inquired worriedly while he sat in a castle of books while Max typed up his police report/

"It's nothing important…" Max shrugged, _'It only scared the crap out of me… Who knew you could act like that? What else are you hiding from me, LeBlanc?'_

Max sighed, pulled his hair back, and stared at the screen a few moments before rising and walking over to the bed Leo was sitting at and seating himself across from LeBlanc, "I want to tell you something Leo, because I trust you… Okay? I want to tell you because I really feel like I can trust you with anything…"

"Okay, well, what is it, Max?" Leo asked worriedly, removing his reading glasses and looking across at Zenigata intently.

"I… Back at Cagliostro…" Max could feel himself falter as he spoke, "I had a brief encounter with Lupin the Fourth…"

"What? Fuji, you mean?" Leo blinked.

"Yeah, Fuji," Max nodded.

"What happened?"

"I… We were arguing, and I guess I kissed her…. Very briefly though!"

"…Oh, God… Max…"

"I know, I know! Totally wrong—If I had another chance, I would never have done it… But, you know—A pretty girl, a lot of stress…. It just happens!"

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I can trust you with anything, and I want you to feel the same away about me," said Max, "We've been through a lot, Buddy. I want you to be able to trust me. So, if you ever want to talk, just let me know… I'm going to go order a wakeup call downstairs now, okay?"

"Yeah," Leo nodded numbly, "See you in a few…" Leo watched as Max rose and exited, and waited until he closed the door shut. Leo then flung every book on his bed across the room and laid his head on his knees.

"How am I supposed to keep living like this?" he wondered out loud, "Poor Zenigata…. I know he wants me to trust him, but he'd never speak to me again if I told him!"

Meanwhile, Max was having thoughts of his own as he strode back up the hotel steps, having ordered a wakeup call, "Poor guy…" Max sighed, "He's so afraid I won't like him anymore if he comes out! Must be a hell of a lonely closet he's in… Well, perhaps I can still help him out in some way… How, though?" He opened the door, and found Leo in a disassembled state of emotions, and seated himself next to LeBlanc, "Leo? There anything you want?"

"Yes," Leo nodded, his voice wavering, "I want to go home… I want to visit my mom and dad! I want to talk with my sister again! I just… I just don't want to live up to his expectations! I'm a failure to my dad, Zenigata! He'll never say it, because he loves me, but when he looks at me I know he's hurt! I said some mean things to him and mom when I left… I never meant to hurt anyone… I just couldn't live the life that they had had in store for me…. But I just want to go home!"

Max blinked in surprise, "Leo isn't really your name, is it?"

"I… I can't tell you…" Leo sputtered, "I'm sorry, I just can't…"

"What is it? Come on, we'll still be friends! What's in a name, really?" Max inquired with a shrug.

"No!" Leo snapped. "I can't! Max, there's a lot I want to tell you, really… But I can't! I'm just too much of a coward, I guess…"

"You're not," Max replied in a low voice, moving closer to Leo slowly, "You just aren't ready… And it's okay, I understand. If you ever want to tell me, though, Leo, you've got someone to talk to. You aren't all alone in the world, Pal."

"Thanks, Max," Leo smiled, "What you say, it means a lot to me… Really…"

"Good night, Leo," said Max as he switched off the bedroom light and readied for bed.

"Good night, Max," Leo answered with a dull smile as he also undressed for bed and lied down to sleep.

The Next Day:

"You want to explain the dress?" Ryo asked as she looked Yukiko up and down. The eldest Jigen child had put away the suit and fedora temporarily and now opted for a black dress and matching purse.

"I lost a bet to 'Tommy'," Yukiko replied with a roll of the eyes. Ryo and Fuji watched as Toshiro walked out, smiling contently.

"You ready?" he asked.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's get this done with already!" grumbled Yukiko, "Take my handbag, will ya?" she ordered, shoving her purse into his chest and storming out.

"Have fun, Toshiro-chan, Yuki-chan! Don't make me an aunt!" Fuji waved, "I'm much too young!"

"Er…" Toshiro blushed, and exited, "We'll do our best, Fuji!"

"Where's Ally?" asked Fuji as she and Ryo watched Toshiro exit.

"Outside…. Practicing," replied Ryo, "He was always good with a gun, but martial arts is his true calling…"

"Just like trying to match my good looks with rare items!" said Fuji as she walked over to a desk and removed the diamond held inside. She undid the midnight blue velvet cloth, which covered it, and laid it out on a table near a window, "It's so pretty!"

Ryo sighed heavily, "We should really have a sit down about your values someday, Fujiko."

Meanwhile, outside, Ally was standing as still as an oak on a breezeless day, taking in all that was around him. His father had helped him learn how to shoot a gun, but he had always had a keen interest for martial arts, which his mother, the Triad Princess of Hong Kong, had taught him long ago.

He struck out quickly, and followed this by several difficult judo movements. After about three minutes nonstop, he halted suddenly, and breathed in heavy pants, "Okay… Concentrate…" he said to himself as he started again. But Ally stopped suddenly, and looked upward at the hotel window, where something caught his eye. Something shining, glimmering… Mesmerizing…

Ally righted himself straight, and began to slowly creep back into the hotel, and up the stairs. He slowly unlocked the hotel, all while in a trance-like state. Both Fuji and Ryo turned their heads as they watched Ally enter.

"Hey, what's up, Ally?" Ryo asked with a smile, "Practice go well?"

"I'm shutting these blinds, Ryoko. The sun's glaring," said Fuji, walking to the window. Ally snapped out of his trance immediately after Fuji shut the blinds, and he jumped in surprise.

"How'd I get here?" Ally asked in confusion.

"Um… You… Walked?" said Ryo slowly.

"Huh…. Weird… I'm, going to go lie down… I need a nap…" said a dazed Ally, stumbling out of the hotel common room and into the men's room, still confused.

"Well, that is going on my list of things that are weird…" Fuji muttered.

"I'll say," Ryo added worriedly, "I hope he's okay…"

Later that Evening:

"A cab? You rented a cab?" Yukiko laughed in disbelief as she exited the restaurant she and Toshiro had eaten at earlier that evening. Out front of the restaurant, a taxi cab sit parked, waiting for Toshiro. He had also driven the two to the restaurant, and had come back around when Toshiro called.

"Yes. I didn't think that the Vespa would be suitable for an evening like this," replied Toshiro with a pleased smile, "Do you like it?"

"Well, it ain't a Cadillac, but it's an upgrade," Yukiko admitted as she seated herself in the cab, "You know about any other hotspots around town?"

"I thought we could go back and talk, actually… You know, maybe just watch TV?" answered Toshiro, "You… You aren't disappointed, are you?"

"No, no! That's okay!" Yukiko patted him on the shoulder, "Sounds like fun! Nothing like a good night of Dutch TV, eh?"

"Yeah," Toshiro looked out the window, and waited until they had returned to the hotel to speak once again, "Here we are!"

"Great! Thanks, Cabby!" said Yukiko as she jumped out of the car and followed Toshiro into the hotel room, "Thanks for dinner, again."

"No problem. My treat, honestly," Toshiro answered as he closed the door and tossed his jacket aside, "Yukiko, are you all right?"

"Huh? Yeah…" she said, jerking her head away from the diamond which had held her gaze for a few moments. The moon shone threw it, making it almost impossible to look away from, "I'm fine… Just a little tired, I guess…" she adding, turning back to him and smiling.

"Are you feeling okay?" Toshiro asked with a gulp, taking a step back, "You… You look a little strange… Maybe you had a little much to drink…"

"I don't think so," she laughed, and stopped in front of him. She put a hand on Toshiro's face, and the samurai immediately tensed, "Hey, what's wrong?"

"I… There's something wrong with you… I just know it!" Toshiro choked, taking a few steps away from her, and walking in the direction of the table where the diamond lay.

"Oh, don't worry!" Yukiko laughed, "It's okay! I'm fine. I just feel like I'm actually seeing you for the first time!" Before Toshiro could retort, she leaned inward, and kissed him. This caught Toshiro off-guard, and he fell to the ground, Yukiko tumbling down along with him.

"Woah, you must be drunk!" Toshiro surmised nervously.

"Nonsense! Now quit talking! You just making it harder on yourself!" Yukiko laughed, "I thought I was the one who acted like my dad! What, did you grow up in a convent!? Hm… That's sort of cute, in a way…."

"No!" Toshiro rose, and backed up against the table, "I can't believe I'm actually having this fight with you, in the first place! Now just think about this—You want to just think about this for a few seconds… We're going slower, remember?"

"Oh, so we get married by the time I'm fifty?" Yukiko snorted, "I think not!" she laughed, and leaned in and kissed him once more. Toshiro lost his balance, and fell back onto the table. He was shocked to see Yukiko follow him on onto the table. After some fighting Toshiro managed to subdue her. It was during a period of silence which they heard a cracking noise, and felt the table break underneath their weight. The diamond fell back into the shadows, and both thieves crashed onto the ground.

"Wha, what happened?" Yukiko inquired, holding onto her head.

"You don't remember?" Toshiro blinked in surprise, "You, you were just coming onto me! Pretty strongly, I'll admit…"

"What!? Like hell I was!" said Yukiko defensively.

"No, seriously!" replied Toshiro, "I probably have your lipstick all over me!"

"Oh my God, you do!" Yukiko gasped in horror, "I, I don't even remember! Oh my God, I probably made myself look like at idiot!"

"No, um… Just sort of…. Dominant…" Toshiro coughed, "But it's all right now! You seem okay, and it's over!"

"I can't believe I… And I don't even remember! I wonder what else I did!?" she moaned.

"You were acting all right until I got you in here," Toshiro answered as he rose and helped her up, "Then you started… Hm… Acting, strangely…"

"When did I stop?" inquired Yukiko.

"When you tackled me on the table…. It broke, though…. That's when you started to feel all right once again," replied Toshiro, pointing to the table. Yukiko leaned downward, and lifted up the diamond, which had fallen into the shadows. She felt a swaying sense come over her, but she shook her head, and threw it into the air. She quickly pulled out her gun and shot at it, but both she and Toshiro both had to duck as the bullet ricocheted and flew towards them. And the diamond fell down at their feet, gleaming upward at them mockingly. No one had awoken from this loud sound because unbeknownst to Toshiro and Yukiko, the others had fallen asleep watching an extremely boring yet loud film, and all were unfazed by such sounds as a table crashing or a gun firing.

"It's this thing!" snapped Yukiko, "Don't ask me how I know, but this thing is pure evil… I just have one of those feelings, man."

"Are you sure, though?" Toshiro asked.

"Positive! I just know it! The last thing I remember before falling on the floor was looking into this thing!" replied Yukiko, lifting up the diamond, "I'll bet if Dori took a look at Zantetsu, that there'd be a shadow over it…"

"Yuki, it's just—"

"Toshiro, trust me…. We've got to get rid of this thing!" replied Yukiko sternly.

"Wha—What about Fuji? She went through an awful lot of trouble to get it!"

"There'll be more diamonds, but hopefully none with the vibes I'm getting off of this thing!" replied Yukiko, tossing the diamond into her bag, "I'm going to change, first. I can't destroy this thing in an evening gown!"

"Same. Meet you outside in a few," said Toshiro, parting with Yukiko. After both had changed, and Toshiro had wiped the lipstick off of his face, the two took off, to dispose of the strange device.

The next morning, the rest of the Lupin gang found it odd that they had not returned.


	26. I put a Spell on You

DISCLAIMER: I don't Lupin III, or a decent computer table, currently… Hee hee…

Hey!

As I am writing this, I am sitting in my kitchen, constantly glancing over at a box of cookies which get better looking with every glance. Due to household repairs, I was forced to relocate my main base of operations to 'Lucy's Kitchen, Suburbs, USA'. Hopefully soon I will be broadcasting my updates from a more comfortable station… And with fewer temptations…. (sigh) Screw the diet (reaches for box of cookies) Happy readings!

P.S.: This chapter dedicated to my godmother…

Chapter Twenty Six

A Little while Later: I put a Spell on You

__

'Oh I can't sleep at night,

But all the same,

I never weep at night,

I call your name'

—The Beatles, _'I call your Name'_

Seventeen Years ago, Paris, France:

"Ari, what's wrong?" Lupin inquired as he saw his son on the porch of their home, crying. Lupin looked over to Fujiko, who stood next to him, but she was of no help. It was not her fault, though. No one understood why the boy wept like he did.

"Daddy, can I talk to you?" asked Ari through sobs.

"Yeah," Lupin nodded, and seated himself next to Ari. Fujiko let out a small sigh, and turned away from the duo, leaving them to their own devices, "Now, what's up?"

"Jean won't talk to me anymore because he says you made his daddy's business bad!" Ari wept, "He punched me!"

"What?" Lupin choked. It was true. Jean's family came from a long like of art dealers, and he had recently abducted their entire stock. It had left the family in ruins, although Jean's family had deserved it—They were a family of crooked art dealers, everyone knew, "Ari, I—" Lupin leaned towards his son, but Ari pushed him away.

"Make it good again!" Ari wept, "Make it good again, Daddy! I don't want him to hate me! Please, Daddy!"

Lupin shuddered as Ari clutched onto him. This had never happened before. He had never stolen something and caused these sorts of repercussions.

Lupin sighed, and looked downward at his son, "Ari, I'd never do anything to hurt you, you know that. I…. I'll give them back everything I took, okay? Will that make you happy?"

"Yeah!" Ari gasped happily, "Thanks, Daddy! Love you!"

"Yeah, I love you too, Pal. I love you too…" sighed Lupin tiredly, "Boy is this going to take a chunk outta my pride…"

Leo awoke with a start, and looked around at his surroundings, "Oh, boy… What a dream! Hm… Guess you really did love me, huh, Dad?" he chuckled tiredly, "I wish I could just show you that I loved you, too."

"LeBlanc, what are you babbling about?" sighed Max as he sat up in his bed.

"Oh, nothing…." Leo sighed, "Just thinking about…. About years ago… You know, I really never got along with my dad, Max, but… He really loved me… No matter how much of an idiot I was…"

"Same, here. Well, my dad was also too old to chase after me a lot. But after I got too out of hand, my mom threw my ass into the police academy," Max shrugged, "I'm going to turn the news on…. You can sleep some more, if you want."

"No, thanks. Once I wake up, I'm up for the day," Leo yawned, stretching and rising out of bed. Max turned on the television to the news, and began to walk into the bathroom, but stopped dead as he heard a familiar voice. He saw Leo turn pale, and he craned over to look at the television screen. It was a film of Leo's exploits of the previous night—When he had become the obnoxious womanizer that Max had been frightened of.

"Oh… Oh my God…." Leo whispered, putting a hand to his mouth in horror, "You… You knew I did that, and you didn't tell me!?"

"Leo, listen, I didn't want to hurt you!" Max started.

"You freakin' lied to me!" Leo yelled.

"Well, that's rich, coming from someone who won't even tell me their damn name!" Max snapped, "Who in the hell are you, LeBlanc? What are you hiding from that's so awful that you had to run away from your life!? Leo, who was that on the TV!? It couldn't have been you…"

"I…" Leo looked downward, and seated himself on the ground, "This isn't supposed to be happening!" he muttered.

There was a long period of silence, filled in only by the newscaster's voice, "In related news, two members of the Lupin gang are said to be held hostage. The captor's demands include the resurfacing of the true Arsene Lupin IV. If these demands aren't meant, both Yukiko Jigen and Goemon Ishikawa XIV will be executed. A public challenge was made earlier today by the unknown assailants."

"What!?" Leo and Max both shrieked.

"How'd I miss that!?" Max wondered aloud.

"Ryoko-chan's sister…." Leo said under his breath, "Max, I gotta go!"

"To where?" inquired Max as he watched Leo hurriedly dress, "Where are you going? Leo, talk to me…. Why are you loading your gun? Damn it, LeBlanc, stop for a second!" growled Zenigata, "What's going on?"

"I… I'd tell you, but…" Leo shook his head, "Never mind. I'll talk to you in a little bit…. Hopefully…"

"Leo—"

"See you in a little, if all goes well!" Leo shouted, running out of the hotel room and quickly vanishing. Max came to a start as he heard his car engine sound, and he scrambled to the window.

"LeBlanc, you get back here now!" Max roared, "I, I…. I'm gonna have to call a cab…."

At the Lupin Hideout:

"Great… Those two idiots try to steal that diamond from beneath me, and now they're going to get their freakin' heads chopped off! Just perfect!" Fuji grumbled, folding her arms and looking back at the television.

"Why don't we go, then!?" Ally snapped.

"Because whoever it is wants Lupin. The real Lupin…" replied Fuji.

"As far as I'm concerned, you're the main Lupin," Ally snapped in response, "Ari's a freakin' chicken, if you ask me!"

"No, he's not," Ryo said, shaking her head, "No matter how much you have trouble admitting it, Ally, Ari will always be Lupin IV. Fuji is Fuji, Ari is Ari."

"It's about time someone around here figured that out!" Fuji snapped, "Now we've got two friends in trouble, and I don't care if I'm the Easter Bunny—As weird as this sounds coming from me, Ally's right—I'm going to go rescue them. We all are, right?"

"Right!" the others nodded.

"I just hope they can hang in there long enough…" Fuji said to herself.

Later that evening:

Ryo drove the Alfa Romeo as usual, while Fuji sat in the passenger. Odori and Heiji sat in the back seat, while Ally zoomed next to them in Toshiro's Vespa, which he drove with an unusual amount of talent.

"Where should we start looking?" asked Ryo as she leaned over and looked down at Fuji's map.

"I've narrowed it down to three places. All describe the place that the captor told Lupin to meet him," said Fuji as she studied her map. Fuji saw a glint from out of the side of her eye, but shrugged this off. She did sense something was wrong, though, when both vehicles slowed to a stop in front of a dockside area. She knew something was _very_ wrong when Ally shot a hole through the map.

"Well… This is an interesting development…" Fuji muttered as she peered through the fresh hole. She looked back at Ally, who glared at her, and looked around at the other three. Fuji jumped out of the vehicle only a moment before she heard the distinctive swipe of Zantetsuken.

"W-What's going on with you guys!?" Fuji yelped, "What in the hell are you trying to pull!? Now, I like jokes, too, but this one's giving me the willies, personally." Another shot fired, and Fuji felt one of her earrings fly off.

"Ryo-san?" Fuji questioned in awe as she saw in Ryo's hand a still smoking gun, "Wh-What's wrong with you guys?" she faltered, backing up against a sidewalk, "Would someone please tell me what's going on!?"

"They're under my control now, Fujiko-chan," Fuji gasped, and turned to see Victor standing on the sidewalk, smiling widely, "Now if you don't go I'll give the order to have the nerd with the crush on you kill you with his sister's knife."

"I don't believe in this crap!" Fuji shouted angrily, "It's all mumbo-jumbo! Magic tricks!"

"You tell that to these two," said Victor, nodding back to two people behind him.

"Yuki? Toshiro?" Fuji blinked in surprise.

"Both just two more puppets…" replied Victor with a smile, "You know, this could be fun, having Ari's girl under my control. There's a lot that I could do that would upset him, you know…"

"If you lay one hand on her—"

"Don't worry, I don't waste my time on skanks," Victor reassured her, "God only knows what it is she has that makes her as bitchy as she is…."

"What's your game, Victor?" asked Fuji suspiciously.

"There's going to be a world-wide peace conference a few days from now. Ari shows, or I glint this little baby, and order them all to blow the crap out of one another!"

"What do you want from Ari? What would anyone?" Fuji chuckled.

"I want to get him here so I can blow his friggin' brains out," replied Victor with a psychotic smile, "That little brat's done nothing but make this family look bad!"

"Maybe, but we don't kill, Victor. Ari may be a lot of things, but he'll always be twice the man you are," Fuji said sternly, "A Lupin never kills. That's what your dad never got, and what you haven't either. Kinda sad when your old man thinks you're heartless."

"Aw, well, why should he care? Not like he pays my bills," Victor shrugged, "Hm, this is the first time I've been next to Odori-chan and she hasn't beaten me…. Maybe I should take advantage of that."

"The closest you'll ever get to landing any of them is Yuki's dog," Fuji said with a smirk. Victor growled, and whipped his head in Fuji's direction.

"I could kill them all now, if I wanted. Just give the order, and watch the blood flow."

"Go ahead, then!" said Fuji, crossing her arms, "Victor, you know as well as I do that they're all-or-nothing-at-all. Your plan will be all shot to hell if one of them is even slightly injured!"

"Oh, like the sap would care about Toshiro. He barely knows Judy Garland over there…" Victor snorted, nodding towards Toshiro.

"Any life is precious to him," replied Fuji, "Now let them go before I get angry… You won't like me when I'm angry…"

"Like I'd fear anyone who quotes from bad TV shows," Victor chuckled, "You amuse me, Fujiko… Maybe I should use this diamond on you… Wouldn't it be a wonderful headline—'Lupin IV found dead in ocean'? Has a certain… A certain ring to it…."

Fuji growled, and reached behind her back to pull out a hidden weapon. She gasped in surprise as she felt a strong arm pull her arm to the point of breaking. She saw out of the corner of her eye that it was Heiji.

"Heiji-chan?" Fuji yelped. It was only then that the harsh reality struck her that everyone she cared for had turned against her. They were no longer the friends she had grown up with—They were all bent on harming her and her brother, as well.

Her brother! He and Max hadn't fallen under Victor's spell yet! Maybe they could still help… But how would she get away? She looked to her right, and saw her only means of escape.

Fuji broke out of Heiji's grasp, ran, and jumped off of the dock into the ocean. Ally ran to the water and shot into it, but there was no sign of Lupin anywhere.

"Dammit!" Victor growled, staring down into water, "I don't have time for this crap… Come on, guys… We have more important work to do…"

Fuji breathed a sigh of relief as she heard the Alfa Romeo and Vespa start up and exit, and released her grip from the dock pole, "I can't believe this… I'm going to kill him when I figure out how to help those guys! I'd shoot them all in the foreheads if I didn't know that they were all currently flesh puppets for my twisted jerk cousin…" She swam out from beneath the dock, and swam to the nearest set of stairs leading up to the streets. She wandered the streets (and became a few dollars richer by those who thought she was homeless) until she came upon a certain annoyed blonde Asian who was still attempting to hail a cab.

She let out a sneeze, and Max Zenigata spun around in surprise, "Lupin!?"

"Zenigata…. I need…. I need yours and LeBlanc's help…. It's Victor… He's got everyone else under some weird sort of mind control… I don't know what he's done to them, but…" she sneezed again.

"You're under arrest! No way in a hell's cold winter day would I help you!" growled Zenigata.

"Blondie, I'm begging here…" said Fuji, "I'll do whatever you want if you let me talk to LeBlanc…"

"Then do me a favor and let me arrest you!" crowed Max.

Fuji paused, "Why can't you just be like every other guy and have me call it even by sleeping with you?"

Max grew appalled by this, "Don't you have any self-respect?"

"When needed, sure," Fuji sneezed, "You got a tissue?"

"Er, sure… Right next to my handcuffs!" said Max with a smile.

"You wouldn't dare arrest a lady with an oncoming pneumonia," Fuji sniffed, followed by a long hacking cough, "Jeeze, how long was I in that ocean?"

"You were in there!? It's freezing!" Max yelped.

"Well, I didn't really stop to check the temperature when I jumped the thirty feet off a pier into it," Fuji coughed.

"Er, come on, I'll arrest you upstairs," said Max worriedly, leading her into his hotel room upstairs, "You sit down, I'll get you something for that cough…."

"You really are worrying mother, eh, Zenigata?" Fuji chuckled as she sat in his hotel room, and sneezed once again.

"Well, I was sick a lot as a kid," replied Zenigata as he walked out of the kitchen with a glass of warm tea, "My parents had to take care of me, and I guess it sort of rubbed off on me…"

"Speaking of mother hens, where's LeBlanc?" Fuji inquired, taking the tea and taking a small sip from it.

"He ran off in a mad dash," replied Max. Fuji choked on the tea, and set the cup down upon the coffee table, "Lupin?"

"He's in a lot of trouble, Zenigata," said Fuji, "Victor Lupin's going to kill him!"

"What!?" Max yelped, "What does he have against Leo?"

"I…" Fuji sighed, and closed her eyes tightly, "Zenigata, there's a lot you don't know about your partner that I do…"

"How do you…? Were you two involved?" Max asked worriedly.

"What!? Hell, no!" Fuji yelped, "It's…. Sit down for a minute, Max…."

"You've never called me that before."

"Huh?"

"You've never called me Max before…" replied Max, "What's up with Leo, now? Is he okay? What's going on?"

"Listen, it's… It's hard to explain…" Fuji sighed worriedly. She jumped as she felt his hand upon her shoulder.

"I don't care how much it'll hurt me, Lupin… I need to know, for his sake. If he's in danger, I need to know how I could help… Tell me everything…"

Fuji paused, and cleared her throat, "It was five years ago when it happened… We were just starting out, the two of us… Starting out on our own… Me, him, Ryo, Odori, Ally and Heiji. Yukiko would help out when needed, and Toshiro had fallen off of our radar… It had been about a year when the accident happened…"

"What accident?"

"A guy. A guard, more appropriate. It was only a few days before his daughter's birthday. He never made in. He shot him right in the chest… He ran away a few weeks later," replied Fuji.

"Who?" Max inquired, his throat dry and hoarse.

"My brother, Ari…" Fuji sniffed, "I'll bet you've never heard Leo laugh, have you?"

"Well, no…"

"It's because he laughs like our dad," replied Fuji quietly.

Max blinked a few times, but remained stationary. He said nothing as he stood there, staring off into space, "He…"

"Ari is Leo… The guard he shot was named Leo, that's where he gets the name," said Fuji with a sigh, "He's my brother, and he's chasing me because he wants me to change my ways…"

"Leo is…" Max trailed off, "B-But, he can't be! Lupin IV was a womanizing crass---"

"No he wasn't," Fuji shook her head, "That's our dad you're thinking of. Believe it or not, they're two different people…. He deserves his own chance."

"I…" Max shook his head, "This is all too much to take… How can someone like him be, so… I don't get it! How could he just… Lie to my face?"

"He never lied to you, Blondie. He just never told you," said Fuji.

"Shut up!" Max yelled, "Just shut up…" he said, kneeling down on the ground.

"Zenigata, are you crying?" Fuji choked.

"No!" Max rose, "Come on…. Let's go find the little idiot…. I don't care who he is—He needs help, and as an officer, it's my duty to protect him."

"What about me?"

"You're my temporary deputy until I sort all of this crap out," Max replied, grabbing his jacket from the coat rack and turning to Fuji, "Are you ready?"

"Sure," she rose, and nodded.

"Where in the hell am I going to get a car?" Max wondered aloud. He watched in horror as Fuji leaned into a car with a window rolled down and began to fiddle with the wires, "What in the world are you—"

"Belt up a few and take time to appreciate the fact you're getting the chance to watch a pretty girl like me in a short skirt leaning in a car," said Fuji, "Unless you aren't into that thing… You sure as hell kiss like it."

"What are you implying!?" Max snapped angrily.

"I'm just saying… Ah, here we go! Hop in!" Fuji said, smiling as she engine sounded.

"I'm so dead," Max sighed, shaking his head and jumping into the passenger side as Fuji buckled into the driver's side, "This never leaves Amsterdam."

"Agreed. Me working with the enemy is bad for the reputation," said Fuji as she began to drive, "But, as I was saying…"

"Yeah, what were you talking about?" Max inquired.

"Well…" Fuji tapped her fingers upon her steering wheel a few times, "You really seem like you care about my brother, is all I'm saying… And I don't mean like how I care for him—More like how Ryo cares about him."

"Leo and Ryoko!?" Max choked, "They were dating?"

"Dating!? Why, he left before the week of the wedding!" Fuji chuckled.

"Wait, are you saying I'm—"

"There's nothing to be ashamed of, Zenigata. My brother's a nice guy…"

"I don't like him like that! It's strictly professional!" snapped Max.

"But you've never thought of him like that?"

"Of course I have! Who couldn't, as much as everyone rubs it in!" Max replied, "Even my own father thinks that he's more than my partner! Not like I would in the first place, but he's my coworker, and a workplace romance is always trouble!"

"Worked out with my parents," Fuji snorted, "You remind me a lot of your old man, Zenigata. Nice, but a little too stressed. Your blood pressure's probably the exact same number as your yearly income before taxes."

"What would you know about taxes?" Max muttered. "I can't believe I'm talking to you about relationships."

"Hey, in all honesty, I'd rather see you with him instead of me or, God forbid, Sachiko," Fuji shuddered, "Well, at least you started from the bottom, eh? You have a lot to work up from!"

"She just had a lot of personal issues," Max said, "And what about Ryo?"

"I know, that always bothers me," sighed Fuji, "She's loving a man who's dead, practically. She keeps alive this memory of an Ari who still loves her and wants to marry her… And who knows, maybe he does. But it doesn't look like it, a lot of the time. She's my best friend, and it's hard to say things like that… I know I could never tell her that to her face."

"Well, thanks for the permission to date… Your… Brother…" said Max slowly and uneasily, "But I think I'll pass. He's a nice guy and all, but not really my type. I try not to date liars."

"And that's why you liked Sachiko so much," Fuji concluded as she merged into traffic, "Your priorities are all screwed up—You know that, Zenigata?"

"I've been told," Max replied, "Hey, that's my car!"

"What? Where?" Fuji asked, looking all about for Max's police cruiser.

"Over there!" Max pointed, "Leo!" he shouted.

"Oh, no," Leo whispered to himself as he looked into his rearview and saw Max waving at him, "What's Fuji doing there!?"

"Leo!" Max shouted, "Pull over!"

Max felt as he was tugged into the car, and turned to Fuji questioningly, "Hold on, Zenigata!" Fuji shouted, "We're trying some guerilla tactics, here!" She pushed down on the gas, and swerved in front of Leo, all while Max screamed like a young girl.

The two cars impacted, and after the initial shrieking of metal and tires, there were a few moments of silence before Leo stumbled out of the wreckage, followed by Max and a dazed Fuji.

"Woah, what a ride!" Fuji chuckled, holding onto her head, "I almost wanna go again! Are you two all right? Nothing broken, I hope?"

"Max, I—" Leo started.

"Don't talk to me," Max hissed, "Listen…. The rest of the Lupin gang is under mind control courtesy of Victor Lupin. We've got to save them… And then I've got to fill out a lot of paperwork…"

"Yeah, we'll have a hell of a time explaining this!" Leo laughed lightly.

"I said me. As far as I'm concerned, you're off of this case!" snapped Max.

"What'd I do now?" inquired Leo.

"You lied to me!" Max yelled, pushing him, "I'm an idiot not to see who you were, Lupin the Fourth!"

"…Max…"

"Come on. We've got to find Victor. We'll talk later, in private," Max whispered, "Fujiko, find us another car…"

"Not necessary," they heard, and saw Victor atop the wreckage, "I'm the type who comes to the enemy… Call it a habit…"

"You look…. Just like him, Arsene…." Max said, looking upward at Victor in shock.

"Call in a curse…" Leo muttered, "Max, I'm sorry…"

"We'll talk later. For now, we've got to get him under control…" said Max.

"Ur, guys… I hate to break it to you, but it ain't just him," Fuji gulped, "He brought the whole friggin' gang!" she choked, laying eyes upon a demonic looking Toshiro, Yukiko, Ryo, Heiji, Ally and Odori.

"I think I'm going to need a few more sets of handcuffs…" Max said as he watched Yukiko load her gun and take aim towards them.

"Let's just hope God's chosen to be kind to us sinners for a day, boys!" said Fuji as she removed her own pistol, "Now put down the gun, Yukiko!"


	27. Trust Me

DISCLAIMER: I don't own the rights to Lupin III, nor do I own a pony, but I would like either, truth be told.

Um….

Let me just start this off by saying that I've never been called evil so many times at once in my life. Even when I drew a really a picture of Ally holding a hockey stick over a chicken and smiling evilly… My parents wonder what happened in my brain to make it so, ha ha. But, um, yeah… It seems like no matter what I do, Max ends up sounding gayer and gayer with each chapter. He could probably give Collin a run for his money. Anyway, happy readings, dear reader, I'm off to go steal some candy from small children and stomp on some poor defenseless butterflies… Because I am evil….

P.S.: If there are more grammatical mistakes than usual, please forgive me. I just had my wisdom teeth out, and the painkillers may make me a little loopy, hee hee… I'm just lucky that I don't think that I'm writing a _Pokemon _fic right now….

Chapter Twenty Seven

A Few Moments Later: Trust Me

__

'And the people—who hide themselves

behind a wall of illusion,

Never glimpse the truth—then it's far too late'

—The Beatles, _'Within you Without you'_

"Fuji! Damn it!" Leo pushed his sister out of the way moments before Yukiko shot, blasting a hole through a nearby building, "What were you doing!? Do you have any clue at all, huh!?"

"Do I look like I know what I'm doing!?" Fuji inquired with annoyance, "I'm wingin' it! Mom and Dad never really prepared us for a situation like this! I've never really planned to have all of my friends turn into mindless zombies and try to _murder_ me before!"

Max let out a yell as Odori lunged for him, missed him, and spliced a bicycle straight down the center. It fell over in two halves, and Max looked downward horrified at a still spinning front wheel. He stood, rose, and removed a pair of handcuffs from his jacket pocket. He swung them at Odori, and managed to bind her wrists. He did not count on her being small enough to slip out of them, and choked in disbelief as she did so and then topped it off by slicing them into small bits.

"Well, I'm out of ideas," Max muttered as he backed up against Fuji and Leo.

"Ari, think of something!" Fuji muttered hurriedly, "And think of it quick!"

"There's got to be something that will break them out of this!" said Leo, "There has to be!"

"Like what?" asked Fuji.

"A noise, a potion, or something… We have to go and find out," Leo replied.

"That'd require getting away from them, first!" said Max.

Fuji smirked, "I can do that…. Run for it, boys!"

"Huh?" Max inquired, puzzled.

"Max, just do it Trust me on this!" Leo said worriedly, taking his friend by the arm and running with him. Fuji smiled as she watched the group approach, and tore off her necklace. She removed a pin from it, and threw it into the air, and then broke off into a run. She heard a loud BANG!! behind her, and turned briefly to see a nearby dock fall into the ocean, leaving the hypnotized gang confused as on what to do next.

Fuji met up with Max and Leo in a vehicle, which Leo had hijacked, and they found a nondescript hotel to stay at for the night.

It was late in the evening, and Fuji sat on a small cot polishing her gun while Leo sat with his head laid on an equally small table. Max was still pacing back and forth in the room, and had not said anything for quite a while, leaving Leo nervous. Max was not nearly as scary when angry as he was when he was brooding. But LeBlanc was unsure as what to say to Zenigata—What _could_ he say?

Fortunately, or, more rather, unfortunately, Max was the first to speak, "What? Why… How could you!?" he screamed, stopping in front of Leo and looking downward critically at LeBlanc. "Will you look at me when I'm talking to you and give me that courtesy, at least!?"

"There's nothing to talk about," Leo sighed heavily.

"My ass there isn't!" Max scoffed, "You're Lupin IV! I'm so stupid to not see it! I, I mean—You look just like your dad! You sound like him, too! You just use that mousy voice to draw attention away from it! No wonder my father didn't like you—It wasn't because he thought you were my boyfriend!"

"Your what!?" Leo choked, "You never told me about that!"

"It doesn't matter," Max grumbled.

"He thought I was your…?"

"Who the hell doesn't? I'll bet even your ex thinks it!"

"Don't put Ryoko into this, Max… What was between us is over…" Leo sighed, "I was scared, all right? I admit it… At first, I didn't tell you because I was afraid you would blow my cover… But later I was scared you would hate me… I didn't want to lose a friend like you!"

"Friend? Friends don't lie to one another, Lupin!"

"Don't call me that!" Leo snapped, "She's Lupin, I'm Leo LeBlanc!"

"You're a liar above everything else! You probably used me just to get into police headquarters!"

"If you remember correctly,_ I_ was there before you! They hired _you _as _my_ partner!"

"It was probably all some elaborate plot…."

"Listen to yourself! You're sounding like some kind of psycho conspiracy-lover! Look at me, Max--I'm not smart enough for elaborate!" Leo fumed, "I can barely finish a damn jigsaw puzzle! I don't have patience for it!"

"Don't yell at me!" shouted Max.

"Don't yell at _me_!" Leo retorted, "You, you…. You sound just like your dad!"

A hand went up, and Max slapped Leo clear across the face, "That's…. Crossing the line…" he muttered to a stunned Leo.

"You blond son of a bitch!" Leo yelped, "You—At least your dad had some compassion for people! You don't even have that!" Max said nothing, but gritted his teeth together, and stood in front of Leo, has fists clenched and shaking. He hadn't meant to slap LeBlanc, but the crack about Zenigata had sent him over the edge, "You hate being compared to your dad…. Hee hee… Don't you think I hate being compared to both of my parents!? I'm trying to go straight here, and you can't get over the fact that my parents were two of the greatest criminals in history! I'm nothing like them!"

"You're all alike when it comes down to it. You're nothing but a Wolf in sheep's clothing…"

"Blah, blah, blah… You two are like a crotchety old couple…" muttered Fuji, "You two will be one of those cute old couples who go gambling in Vegas together in the matching shirts and fannypacks, I can see it now."

"We aren't a couple!" Max replied, snapping his head back at Fuji.

"Please. You wouldn't be bitching at one another like you are if you didn't care about one another…. If you really didn't think that much about him, Zenigata, you wouldn't be feeling so betrayed. And you look like someone just kicked you in your shins, LeBlanc. If you two aren't, you know, you're at least really good friends. Like brothers, I guess. Zenigata would be the brother you would've had had mom not made dad get a vasectomy, Leo."

"Mom made Dad…?"

"You sound like that surprises you," Fuji chuckled, laying down her gun on the bed, "Now you two kiss and make up… Just don't go doing the kissing in front of me, you hear? I'm just not that type of girl!"

"My head's starting to hurt," Max muttered, seating himself and removing his glasses, "I think you're both giving me a tumor…"

"Oh, can I name it!?" Fuji asked excitedly. Both Leo and Max looked toward her with looks of question. "What?"

Leo kneeled down in front of Max, and sighed, "You know what, I thought I was paying back my debts by helping to rid the world of bad people, like I was, but I guess it wasn't enough. Zenigata, if you really feel that it's in the best interest of everyone to arrest me, then do it. I won't stop you. I know you'd do the right thing, Max-- You always do. That's what makes me look up to you like I do. Just keep in mind that no matter what you do, I can't bring that man back to life. I'm sorry for what I did, and if you feel that arresting me's the best thing to do… Then arrest me, okay?"

"I… You're serious…"

"Uh-huh," Leo nodded, "Just let me help Fuji, and then we'll go to UN headquarters, and I'll turn myself in. No tricks, I promise."

"Aren't you going to talk some sense into him!?" Max yelped, looking onward at a reclined Fuji, "He's telling me he wants to go to jail, when he knows damn well that they'll hang him up like a Christmas ornament the first chance they get!"

"If he wants to go to prison, let him," Fuji shrugged, "He's a grown man, I'm not stopping him. I trust Ari to make the right decision. What he says, goes, according to me. He calls the shots in my book."

Max sighed heavily, "You know, if we don't put a stop to these guys, we're going to be writing parking tickets in those ugly blue uniforms you hate somewhere in Tours…"

"What are you saying?" Leo inquired as he watched Max rise and look out the window.

Max looked back at Leo, "You know, maybe we should go out…"

"…Say what…?"

"Well, you're good-looking for a guy. Smell nice, too… Imported after-shave, right? We could get married in Canada, even, and adopt about six kids. I could become a playwright, and you could stay home and garden… We could have cats, even!" Max shrugged a continued with a small hysterical laugh, "What the hell!? Would it honestly surprise _anyone_!? My dad, your dad!? Really, would it!? Ha ha, I'm such an idiot!"

"Is… Is this what a mental breakdown looks like?" Fuji asked Leo worriedly, "Because mom usually described it as being something like this…"

"Y-You know, you shouldn't listen to everything you hear, Max," Leo chuckled, rising. Max turned around, and walked back to Leo, and stared at him a few moments, "Zenigata, please tell me you're joking…"

"Oh, I can see it now!" Max laughed, "Hey, Dad, guess what!? I'm dating Lupin, and, even better, it's not his daughter! Yeah, you're right, he only did have one daughter—That he admitted to! It's his son! Oh, that'd put the old man in the grave, neh!? You know Leo? He's really Lupin! You were right, and I'm an idiot! Again! Ha ha, proved me wrong again, Pop! Your kid can't play baseball and he can't tell the enemy from a ham sandwich!"

"Am I the only one who's sort of scared by this?" Fuji inquired, "Leo, would you please do something before he hurts himself or one of us!?"

"You're not the one he's talking about, at least!" Leo snapped, looking back at Max, "Now, Zenigata, you're under a lot of stress right now, and that's understandable… Some people say really weird things when they stress out, that's understandable, too… Now you just need to take a few deep breathes and sit down, and get yourself a drink… Calm, all right? Stay calm, Max… How about we sing, eh?"

"I am not singing! That's where they get you!" Max laughed accusingly, pointing a finger at Leo, "Do you have any idea what it's like growing up knowing every Bette Midler song known to man!? I got my ass beat in school on a weekly basis!"

"Isn't he what mom calls 'high-strung'?" Fuji asked as she looked towards a heavily-breathing Max, who was now shaking in position as Leo continued to speak with him.

"Okay, Zenigata… No Bette, ur… What, then? Um… Just in time, I found ya just in time…" Leo started, reverting back to the old songs Jigen listened to when he was young and enjoyed watching the gunman work on the cars with Ally and Yukiko.

"Before you came my time was runnin' low…. I was lost…" Fuji interjected.

"The losing dice were tossed… My bridges all were crossed… Nowhere to go…." added Leo cautiously as he approached Max.

"Now you're here, now I know just where I'm goin', no more doubt or fear, I've found my way…" Max chuckled as he sang.

"For love came just in time… You found me just in time… And changed my lonely life, that lucky day," Leo and Max sang in unison, Leo eyeing Max's gun whilst he did so. Luckily, the lock was still on it, giving him a few seconds prep time to run if Zenigata totally lost it.

"Well, that did nothing for me…" said Fuji after a long pause, "Except make me wonder how I know a Dean Martin song in the first place!"

"Heh, guess I'm not totally like Dad, after all," said Max with a bemused smirk.

"Do you feel better now?" asked Leo hopefully.

"A little…" replied Max, seating himself at the table, "I… I'm sorry about the tangent, earlier… I was a little off of my axis, I'll admit… And, sorry for the slap, too."

"Yeah. It's okay, I deserved the hit, anyway," Leo nodded, rubbing his sore cheek as he remembered the well-placed physical assault, "Are you all right now?"

"Not really," Max said, "I trusted you, and you lied to me. You broke that trust, Leo."

"My name might not have always been Leo LeBlanc, but everything else I've told you is the truth. I'm 24, I have a sister, I come from rich family, I love to knit, women frighten me, I'm asthmatic and I like Charlie Sheen movies."

"The last one I was never told…" said Max, "Charlie_ Sheen_?"

"Er, don't ask about that one, all right?" Leo chuckled shyly.

"Don't worry…I don't plan to," replied Max, a look of confusion still upon his face as he spoke to Leo.

"Oh, he loves octopus!" Fuji said from her corner.

"No, I don't!" snapped Leo, "I'm allergic to it, just like dad is! It'd make me break out in hives!"

"Great, I'll know what to feed you next time you piss me off… You can't bitch at me with a swollen throat," Max muttered under his breath.

"Ladies, I'm really digging this soul-bearing experience, but we still have a group of well trained, heavily-armed killing machines known as our former/current friends and/or family," said Fuji, "Don't you think we should be a little worried, guys?"

"Christ, she's right!" Max moaned, slapping his forehead, "What in the hell are we going to do!?"

"Give me a computer and an hour, and I'll figure it out," said Leo.

"We have some of Heiji's equipment at the hideout," said Fuji.

"Great!" Leo exclaimed.

A little while later, they had taken one of Heiji's computers, and Leo had set to work scanning through a few pages in a foreign language unfamiliar to Fuji in Max. While he did this, Max and Fuji set to work replacing their bullets with tranquilizers.

"Huh, you're kidding…" muttered Leo as he stared at the computer screen.

"What? You found a cure?" Max and Fuji asked excitedly.

"Ur, no… New Richard Gere movie coming out soon…" replied Leo with a chuckle.

"Richard Gere?" Max wondered aloud, "You like Richard Gere movies, too!?"

"That movie ain't the only thing coming out, apparently," Fuji mumbled, turning back to their weaponry.

"Ah, here we go!" Leo said with a happy gasp, "Guys, I've found it!"

"What, a new Hugh Grant movie coming out, too?" Fuji sighed.

"Nope! There is a cure!" replied Leo, "It's a sort of drink…"

"We have to get them to drink it?" Max inquired, rising and walking over to Leo.

"Shouldn't be too hard for Yukiko and Toshiro…. It _is _Friday after all," Fuji snorted, "Or, as they like to call it, weekly 'Drink Like an Irishman Day'…. Followed by Saturday's 'Where did we Wake Up Today? Day'."

"We have to go get these ingredients," said Leo, pointing to the screen, "I'm printing out the list now… We can divide it into thirds, and meet back in an hour."

"We only have one car, though," said Max. He watched as Fuji and Leo turned to one another and smirked, "Oh no, no, no! No way! We're in deep enough crap as it is!"

"You know, as police officers, we have the authority to take vehicles for the purpose of official business, Max," said Leo.

"And I am an unofficial deputy," added Fuji.

"You don't even have a badge!" growled Max.

"You wanna bet?" she chuckled, removing a police badge from her jacket, much to Max's shock.

"This looks real!" gasped Max.

"It is!" Fuji chuckled, "I swiped it off of an Interpol officer last time I had a run in with the offices in France… But don't worry, boys, it's neither of you two!"

"I'm so sure. Makes me wonder what else you have on you…" Max snorted.

"Well, if you want to do a strip-search…"

"LeBlanc, list, now…"

"Here," Leo passed the papers to the two, "We'll need enough for six…"

"Where are we going to find these ingredients?" Fuji muttered, scratching her head in confusion.

"We'll have to, somehow," Max shrugged tiredly, "Let's get a move on! Meet you all in a few!" The three went their separate ways at about two in the afternoon, and all joined up again at four in the morning.

"Found everything on my list," Fuji yawn, lying down her ingredients on the table.

"Same, here," Max nodded.

Leo coughed uncomfortably as he laid his ingredients out, "I couldn't find one…"

"What!?" both yelped.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry! I tried everywhere, but I couldn't find it to save my soul!" Leo moaned.

"And we were so close, too," Max sighed, shaking his head, "Now what?"

"Which ingredient is it?" asked Fuji.

"Here," Leo pointed on his sheet of paper to the loan word not scratched out.

Fuji chuckled, "You two are both idiots! You don't know anything about women, do you!?"

"No, but that's besides the point," said Max, "What's so amusing?"

"It's acetone!" Fuji laughed.

"Um… Yeah… So?"

"That's the stuff in fingernail polish remover!" Fuji chuckled wildly.

"What!?" both gasped.

"Are you for real!?" Leo wondered aloud.

"Here, I have some in my purse," Fuji smirked, removing a small pink bottle. Max and Leo read over the ingredients, and Max threw his arms up in frustration while Leo simply shook his head in shock.

"Won't acetone, like, burn a hole in your stomach?" Fuji inquired.

"So would mom's cooking, but hey, we survived," Leo shrugged, setting the bottle next to the other ingredients, "Now we'll have to get to work on it…."

"How does this stuff work, anyway?" asked Max.

"It tastes so disgusting it knocks them out of their stupor," replied Leo as he went to combining the ingredients.

"You're kidding. I could've just had my mom mail some of her steamed white fish, instead of going through all of that trouble," muttered Max. He watched out of the corner of his eye as Fuji gave a yawn, and turned to her, "Why don't you go to sleep? It's a long drive to prison."

"Good idea," Fuji stretched, and lied down on the bed, and soon fell asleep.

"She may be annoying and a felon, but she's still my little sister," Leo sighed as he looked back at the sleeping Fuji, "I know we could all potentially be massacred, but I still appreciate all of the time I'm getting with her. I never get that sort of stuff, anymore. Stuff I used to take for granted. I always thought it'd just be the two of us, side by side, until we died!"

"Must be nice to grow up with siblings…" said Max as he passed Leo another ingredient.

"Well, we lived together for a little while," Leo smirked, "You know that dream you keep having about the tree? That was me who carried you into the house."

"What?"

"Uh-huh," Leo nodded as he dumped a sort of strange gray powder into the mixing bowl and stirred, "I still remember it… You broke something, if I'm not mistaken."

"Uh, yeah," Max nodded numbly, "I thought I recognized you… Um… Thanks…."

"No problem," Leo shrugged, "We didn't really see much of one another after that… You know how some people just drift apart. It's a part of life we can't escape, I guess…"

Max paused, "That's pretty deep, especially when it's coming from a guy who's a member of the International League of Knitters."

Leo shrugged, "Hey, I get pretty deep under pressure, I suppose. That and the fact that I haven't slept or eaten in eighteen straight hours probably has something to do with it…"

"Well, finish up, and get some rest… Long day tomorrow. I have no idea how we're going to restraint them all… If we get them one at a time, we'll still have others to worry about…"

"We've worked bigger miracles," Leo reassured him, "And I have backup if needed…. We are part of an international organization, after all… Well, I guess you are…"

"I haven't taken your badge yet," Max smirked, "How much more do you have?"

"All of this," Leo sighed heavily, pointing to a series of bottles and bags in his wake.

Max stood, and cleared his throat, "Listen, this is probably the worst time to bring this up, but I've been thinking, and…"

"Tell me later, okay?" Leo mumbled absently as he commenced his addition of ingredients.

"Yeah, okay," Max nodded, and seated himself in front of Leo.

LeBlanc took a half of an hour to complete the concoction, and announced it to Max tiredly, "Done… At last…"

"Do we have to chill it or something?" Max asked, poking the bowl questioningly.

"Just give it to them," Leo yawned, and stretched, "I'm calling it a night. I've been up nineteen hours, now… Max?" he asked as he saw Zenigata slumped over in his chair, "You okay?"

Leo felt someone grip about him and cover his mouth and nose with a damp cloth, which he recognized as chloroform right before his vision became a blur. He fell to the ground, and looked upward to see Fuji looking back downward at him. He watched wordlessly as she lifted Max onto the bed and then himself.

"F…Fuji…" he choked.

"Shh… Thanks for your help, but I can take it from here," Fuji whispered, "You just take a nice little nap, now, Bro. I'll see you and Blondie around… If I make it back alive…" she chuckled wryly.

"Stop…" Leo wanted to shout, but felt no words come out as Fuji took the large bowl from the table and left the rank hotel room. He soon fell into a deep sleep, and Fuji took their only legitimate vehicle to the mostly likely place that Victor would be.

Toshiro and Yukiko were standing guard in front of Victor's small home in the Netherlands countryside. Both seemed like statues—One, a stiff mobster with a fedora, and the other a stoic samurai. Much like their fathers had been, in other words.

"Well, here it goes… Let's hope there's a little bit of them left in there, somewhere…." Fuji muttered nervously as she filled a bottle and tossed it at Yukiko's feet. It was near identical to Yukiko's metal flask, which she kept in her fedora. Yukiko looked downward at it curiously, and lifted it up in interest. She shrugged, and opened the flask, and took a long drink, and commenced to spit it out.

"God! Don't tell me I put _sake_ in this thing again!" Yukiko grumbled.

"Yuki!?" Fuji gasped.

"Hrm? Fuji?" Yukiko looked to her left and right, and yelped as Fuji pulled her into a shrubbery, "What in the hell are you doing?!"

"You know who I am?"

"Uh, yeah…"

"And you don't want to kill me?" Fuji asked hopefully.

"Well, not right now, no… But if you don't let go of me, it could change," replied Yukiko.

"Oh!" Fuji chuckled, and let go of her hold, "I'm just so happy that you aren't under that spell anymore!"

"What spell?" Yukiko asked, "What are we doing here, why did you hug me, and who put sake in my flask?"

"Okay… You know that diamond? It's evil, and Victor's was using it to turn you guys against me, and you all tried to kill me, and I had to get Leo and Max to help me, and…"

"Leo!? Max!? Where are they?"

"Oh, they're both back at the hotel. I used my chloroform tissues to knock them both out," Fuji replied, "The stuff I slipped you is the stuff that'll knock everyone out of that sick little spell that Victor has you guys under!"

"You mean, everyone's under it?"

"Ryo, Ally, Odori, Heiji, even Toshiro," replied Fuji, "We're the only ones, as is. If we get Toshiro next, that means that we can get in to get everyone else," she concluded.

"Um, I'm not exactly up to going against a 6'1 guy with two swords right now, how about you?" Yukiko said to Fuji, peering out from the shrubs. Toshiro had yet to realize that Yukiko was no longer on post with him, and continued to stare ahead.

"Hey, you're how tall, 5'4? He's only got about half a foot over you," Fuji shrugged, "You could take him…"

"Cute. But really… I don't want to shoot the guy, but—"

"Could you give him a tranquilizer?" Fuji inquired.

"Nah, we'll need him to fight off the others… Especially Odori. She has Zantetsu, remember. And Ryo's a pretty good shot, don't forget…" said Yukiko, "And Ally is good with martial arts, and Heiji can use a sword when needed."

"There's something really amusing about thinking about Heiji doing any physical activity, no offense to the little patron saint of hackers," Fuji chuckled.

"Okay, seriously… How did you get me out of my trance?" Yukiko inquired.

"I did what I always do when I need you to do something that you don't want to… I offered you a drink," replied Fuji. A smile came upon her face, then a smile, which Yukiko did not like the looks of at all.

"Um… Why are you looking at me like that, Fujiko?" Yukiko asked with a gulp.

"No matter how deep a trance it was that you were in, you still remembered one of your favorite things…" Fuji smirked, "He may seem like a robot, but Samurai-3PO's still a human underneath the mask."

"And what does that have to do with me?" asked Yukiko worriedly.

"Everything," Fuji said with a wide smile.

Toshiro tensed as he heard a noise from the bushes, and grabbed onto the sheath of one of his swords. He let down his guard, however, when he saw it was just Yukiko returning.

"Sorry," she shrugged, returning to her post, "You okay?"

"Yeah," he nodded, looking over at her skeptically, "You…?"

__

'If this doesn't work, I'm going to shoot you, Fuji,' thought Yukiko with a roll of the eyes as she prepared to set up her attack, "Good. Tired, though."

"Tired?" Toshiro wondered aloud.

"Oh, yeah," she sighed, "I'm feeling a little dizzy, actually…"

"Sit, then," he said worriedly, seating himself next to her on a bench.

Yukiko took a drink from her bottle, and shuddered, "Here, you want a sip?"

"Not really…"

"Go on ahead," Yukiko removed her fedora, and smiled, "Please? For me?"

"Why…?"

"Just do it, you big idiot!" she chuckled, putting a hand on his shoulder, "Come on… Please? It'd mean an awful lot to me, Toshiro-chan…" Toshiro looked downward at her hand, and took a look swig of it. "Tastes like crap, don't it?" she chuckled as Toshiro coughed the vile liquid up.

"Yeah, I… Yuki? What are we doing here?" Toshiro inquired as he fell out of his trance.

"Long story," Yukiko replied, "Are you okay?"

"What is that stuff that you gave me? Chardonnay?"

"Close," replied Yukiko with a chuckle, "Fuji!" she called, and the young thief made her way out of her hiding place.

"I told you that you were his weakness!" Fuji said triumphantly, "Toshiro, how are you feeling?"

"Like hell," Toshiro replied, "What's happening?"

"Ally, Dori, Ryo and Heiji are all under hypnosis and want to kill me," Fuji shrugged.

"They had to be hypnotized to think like that?" Toshiro wondered aloud.

"See, that's what I told her!" Yukiko interjected.

Fuji sighed tiredly, "Anyway… Now we've got one another, so we might have a chance."

"Where're Zenigata and your brother?" asked Toshiro.

"Doesn't matter," said Fuji with a shake of the head, "We don't need them right now…"

"I beg to differ," Fuji heard in a sadistic chortle. Lupin looked upward at the second story window to see Victor sitting on the ledge and Ryo next to him. There was a gun pointed to Ryo's head, and Victor looked prepared to pull the trigger.


	28. Rescue Me

DISCLAIMER: I didn't own Lupin III on writing anniversary number one, but hey, maybe by my 5th I will!

Shalom!!

Pardon the updates for being perhaps a little sparse, dear readers, but, you see, this author has the grand misfortune of being located dead-center in the middle of hurricane country (and that's all I'll say on that subject). Well, enough of that, now on to the part where I stop blabbering. I hope you enjoy the following chapter, and remember that questions and comments are always welcome.

Chapter Twenty Eight

A Few Seconds Later: Rescue Me

__

'And these mem'ries lose their meaning,

when I think of love as something new.

Though I know I'll never lose affection,

for people and things that went before,

I know I'll often stop and think about

them,'

—The Beatles, _'In My Life'_

"Victor! You jerk!" Yukiko growled, drawing her gun, "You let go of my sister, now!"

"Oh, is this the part where I say something cliched, like 'make me'?" Victor chuckled, "You know, you're just like an old Western hero, Yukiko… The samurai bitch is more to my liking, but this one isn't half-bad, either… Although I do shudder at the fact that she and my dear turncoat cousin were once a couple… How in the hell that happened, I don't know, but I guess if they can find someone for your dad out there, anything is possible…"

"I'm gonna shoot him!" Yukiko hissed.

"Yuki! No!" Toshiro shouted, grabbing onto one of her shoulders firmly.

"I can make it! I have a draw of 0.3, he has a draw of 0.6," replied Yukiko.

"How'd you know that?" Victor wondered aloud.

"I'm a good observer," Yukiko smirked, "Now let go of the dame before you get one right between the eyes!"

"We'll have to say what Miss Ishikawa says to that…" Victor chuckled, and disappeared from sight with Ryo. In his wake he left a small figure clad in a gi with an unsheathed blade.

"Crap! She's the one I'm scared of the most!" Fuji yelped, "He's cockier than I thought if he's using her first!"

"Is there some weakness for her we could use, Toshiro?" Yukiko inquired.

"Not unless we can get Musashi on a plane and here in five minutes!" Toshiro responded as he unsheathed Izanami, "Girls, you get away, I'll take her. Go get help from someone…"

"No way, man. I've lived with you and worked with you, now I'm gonna die with you," replied Yukiko, cocking her fedora to a side and drawing her pistol.

"Yukiko, no!" Toshiro snapped firmly, "You and Fuji run. I'll take her!"

"Would you two both quit arguing and just get her under control!?" Fuji inquired worriedly as Odori jumped from the second-story window and landed in front of the three with a kind of demonic air about her as she rose and stared at the trio with a glare.

"Listen, I'll take her, you go with Fuji," said Toshiro as he moved glances back and forth to Yukiko quickly, "I ought to be able to take her…"

"What if you can't, huh!?"

"Take on my family name and name one of your sons after me," replied Toshiro.

"What!? What in the hell kind of request is that!?" Yukiko yelped as Toshiro ran from her and towards Odori, one of his swords drawn.

"Hey, give her this!" Fuji called, tossing him a small bottle. Toshiro caught it and nodded as he ran into battle.

The two samurai struck in unison, making an 'X' with their blades, and Odori worked her way out of the lock, and backed up from Toshiro, who took this time to unsheathe his second, longer blade, Izanagi. Odori lunged for him, and knocked him to the ground, but he placed his swords one over the other in a protective stance, shielding his face from her blade. He kicked her down to the ground and pinned her, but Odori rolled, and pinned him down before she rose to sink her sword into his skull. She dove for his face, but Toshiro rolled out of the way, barely missing her attack.

As the older samurai rose to his feet, Fuji and Yukiko busied themselves with undoing the lock to Victor's mansion.

"Hey, what's that noise?" Yukiko whispered to Fuji as she continued to pick at the lock.

"Toshiro and Odori yelling, mainly…" Fuji replied, glancing back at the fighting duo anxiously.

"And, what else? I'm hearing something like panting…." Yukiko muttered.

"Oh, that'd be the two guard dogs staring at us," Fuji gulped. Yukiko snapped her head back and sure enough there were two drooling mutts in their wake.

"Run!" Fuji ordered, bounding for a fence. Yukiko ran, and easily cleared the fence.

"Can't I shoot them!?" Yukiko wondered out loud as she and Fuji continued to run.

"Having Victor for a master is enough of a punishment! Don't you dare shoot those mutts!" Fuji yelled in response as she stumbled through the wooded area, Yukiko running behind her.

Back at Max and Leo's Hotel:

"Woah, how long was I out!?" Max wondered aloud as he rose from his bed. He looked downward at Leo and moaned, "Oh, don't tell me I—If I did, thank God I can't remember it…."

"Wha… Fuji!" Leo gasped, bolting up from his sleeping position, "Oh my God, what time is it!?"

"Why? Hey, where's Lupin?" Max wondered aloud as he looked about the room, "And your cure's gone, too!"

"Damn it, I knew it!" Leo grumbled, rising from the bed, "I knew she'd go off and do something stupid!"

"What'd she do?" inquired Max.

"She went to go face Victor by herself!"

"What!? That's suicide!"

"I know…"

"Well, we have to go get her!"

Leo turned to him, and chuckled wryly, "I would, but I have no idea where his place is! We were never really close."

"Crap, crap, crap!" Max fumed, "We have a maniac controlling a bunch of killers, our top case is on a one-way trip to the afterlife, and we have no idea where any of them are!"

"Good thing I used that bug…" Leo muttered, turning away from Max.

"The what?" Max blinked a few times in disbelief, "What bug?"

"The one I put on the car," replied Leo, "I guess I have a little of my dad in me, after all… It was Fuji's, but I snatched it off of her and put it on the car. I didn't have time to get the tracker, but luckily she left her purse here…"

"What good's that gonna do us? Not like we need lipstick right now or anything," Max muttered as he spilt the contents of Fuji's purse onto the table.

"It's no ordinary purse," Leo explained, opening the bag and picking out a random object, "Take this lipstick—It's got a bullet in it that she could fire and kill someone with…"

"Why didn't you tell me that, then!?" Max growled.

"Because I know Fuji, and she doesn't even like the sight of blood!" Leo replied as he continued to look through the purse with Max.

"What's this? Perfume?"

"Nerve gas…" Leo replied.

"And this looks just like a pen…"

"That's a microphone."

"And how about this lighter?"

"Flame thrower."

"And what's this thing?"

Leo sighed, "That's a Tampon…"

Max's face flushed, and he sputtered incoherently as he tossed it back onto the table, "Ur… I'll leave the rest of this to you…."

"Good idea," Leo admitted, continuing to shuffle through the contents until he came upon a flashing compact, "Huh, the compact! Why am I not surprised?"

"Well, where is she?" asked Max intently.

"Follow me!" Leo said, jumping up from his seat and bounding out of the hotel, Max following close behind.

After 'borrowing' another vehicle in the name of Interpol, Max drove through the Dutch streets like a madman while Leo called out directions to him on the compact. They arrived at Victor's foreboding mansion, where they saw first Toshiro fighting with Odori, and then two figures running towards them, one in blue and red and the other in black and white.

Fuji pried open the door to the back seat of the car and slid in. Yukiko rolled over the hood of the car and opened the driver's side, sliding in next to Max and Leo. She floored on the gas, and watched as the two dogs which had chased them suddenly broke into a run for their lives. Toshiro and Odori both stopped briefly as Yukiko zoomed by them, gun drawn. A shot sounded, and Zantetsu flew out of Odori's hands and landed upon the ground, sticking straight upward. A loud crash resonated after this, and both snapped their heads in the direction of Victor's house, where a borrowed car now made its parking lot.

Odori was stunned into pausing, and Toshiro took this time to grab her from behind and pull her to the ground, all while Odori struggled, clawing at his face and kicking him. He gave a hard pull to her hair, and Odori let out a loud call. While she had her mouth open in a yell, her shoved the bottle down her throat. Odori coughed and spattered wildly, and Toshiro patted her back while she ingested some of the vile liquid.

"What are you doing?" she coughed, wiping her mouth with her gi sleeve.

"Odori, you're back!" Toshiro gasped happily.

"Yes… Where am I?" she wondered aloud, "And what in God's earth did you make me drink!?"

"Hey, guys, I got us a way upstairs!" Yukiko crowed happily, kicking open her car door.

"I don't believe this…" Max muttered, tiredly tumbling out. Soon followed Leo, who leaned on the roof of the car and sighed.

"She's been doing stuff like this since she was a kid… Ask my dad about his red Mini Cooper sometime…"

"What a ride, huh guys!?" Fuji laughed, punching Leo in the shoulder playfully, "Hey, what's wrong, Zenigata? We've got Odori back on our side now!"

"How… in the hell…. Can you be this CHEERY!?" Max yelled in frustration, waving his hands in a violent shaking gesture as he spoke to Fuji.

"What else can I be, Zenigata?" Fuji smirked in response, "Well, let's follow Yukiko's lead!"

"Toshiro, what exactly happened?" Odori inquired as she pulled Zantetsu out of the earth and inspected its blade. She gasped as she saw blood upon it, and in the blade's reflection, she saw a dark spot form around the area of Toshiro's right shoulder. She spun around, but could not find the words to speak.

"Let's get going… I'm sure we're expected," Toshiro said, sheathing his swords and walking towards the house. Odori followed, a still-horrified look upon her face.

They met up with Heiji and Ally on the second floor of the house, guarding Victor's door. Heiji had been given a sword, and Ally carried a heavy firearm, but also brought his martial arts skills to the table. He made sure to put good use to these as soon as he laid eyes on Toshiro. He jumped to deliver a kick to Toshiro, but Yukiko raised her arm up in defense of the samurai, and the two remained in a lock for a few moments before Ally jumped back, and this time swung at Yukiko. Yukiko's fedora fell to side, and she glared downward at it. She removed her jacket, loosened her tie, and placed a cigarette from her pocket as she spoke to Ally.

"I don't want to kick your ass, Ally, but you ain't Ally right now, are you?" she grumbled as she rolled up her sleeves and giving a very Daisuke Jigen-like presence, "I'm not gonna shoot at you—That just isn't right… So I'm offering you the option to fight me hand-on-hand…"

"She doesn't know martial arts…! Does she?" Leo wondered aloud, turning to Fuji. Fuji shrugged in response, and turned back to the Jigen standoff. Fuji saw in the corner of her eye that Heiji had disappeared from the area at which he had stood, and wildly looked around at either side in search of the hacker.

"Hey, where's Heiji? Has anyone seen Heiji!?" Fuji wondered aloud. She snapped her head in the direction of Yukiko and Ally as she saw a blur of white fly past her and land against a railing which kept one from falling down to the first story.

"Oh, you're in such deep crap when Mom and Dad hear about this!" Yukiko muttered, wiping some of the blood away from her nose. Ally went to make another kick, but before he could make impact, someone grabbed his legs, sending him crashing to the ground. Max, who had been the one to grab him in the first place, then proceeded to turn him onto his back and kneel down upon him, one of his knees upon Ally's back and the his hands clasping Jigen's together.

"Where in the world did you…" Leo started.

"My mom taught women's self defense. She pulled this move on me a couple of times over the years when I got too out of hand. Dad was pretty good, too…" replied Max, pressing down upon Ally's arms, causing Jigen to let out a groan, "Someone give him that damn drink! I don't know how long I can hold him like this!"

"Here!" Odori slid down to his level, and put Ally in headlock, and shoved a newly filled bottle down Jigen's throat while she held his nose closed. Ally sputtered, broke out of Odori's choker hold, and flipped Max onto his back.

"What are you doing!?" growled Ally, slamming Max down onto the wooden floor.

"Watch out!" Leo yelped as Heiji jumped from a ledge, his sword drawn. He fell upon Fuji, and Fuji let out a yell as Heiji missed her neck by inches, landing his sword into the ground. Fuji turned around on the ground to face Heiji, and saw a look of great confusion upon his face… What could possibly be going on in his head?, she wondered.

"Just…. Stop me…. Okay?" Heiji begged, sounding the words out with difficulty, "I don't care…. How…." Fuji nodded, and paused a few moments before lunging her head towards his and ramming him with her skull.

"At least she did something with that thick skull, finally," Odori muttered.

Toshiro placed one of his sword sheathes under Heiji's neck, and Odori fed him the potion while he struggled the entire while. Heiji panted in exhaustion as the antidote took its effect, and he fell into a relaxed state.

Fuji sat up, crawled over to Heiji, and picked up his glasses, which had fallen on the floor in their struggle. She chuckled as she pushed him up the bridge of his nose, "You think I don't know how to fight off a guy who has me on my back when I don't want it?"

"Huh… Oh, hee hee… I gotcha…." Heiji smirked, "Are you okay, Fuji?"

"Yeah, I'm fine…" Fuji nodded.

"Toshiro!" Yukiko gasped as the oldest Ishikawa son let out a moan of pain and fell onto his knees, "Oh, wow… How'd you get this?"

"I know that cutting style…" Heiji muttered, turning around to face Toshiro. He pulled down a side of Toshiro's gi, and lost all sense of speech as he laid eyes on the deep gash. Both heard a stifled gasp, and looked onward to see Odori, her head turned away from the two. She rubbed her eyes as she realized she had an audience, and cleared her throat, "Come on. Let's get going… We still have to get Ryoko…"

"Here, here," Yukiko muttered to Toshiro, removing her flask of alcohol and pouring it onto the wound.

Toshiro let out a howl of pain, "What sort of a sadistic bitch are you!?" he managed to yell in his pain.

Yukiko smacked him across the face with minimal force, "One who'll _never _go out with you if you call her that again!"

"I—" Toshiro stopped, too surprised to continue his rant.

"Guys, I hate to break this up, but Dori's right. We still have to worry about Ryoko, and God only knows what Victor has in store for her…" said Fuji as she rose and straightened her jacket, "It freaks me out just thinking about it, personally!"

"I'll stay here with him," said Yukiko as she moved closer to Toshiro and raised him up onto her lap, "This is a deep wound…"

"Ur, here…" Ally cleared his throat, and removed his jacket, "You… You can use it to stop the bleeding…"

"Huh, does this mean you like me now, Ally?" Toshiro inquired with a weak laugh.

"Hell, no. I just don't want you to die and hurt my sister again!" snapped Ally, spinning the chamber of his gun around and then sticking it in the back of his pants between his trousers and belt.

"We'll be back guys," Fuji said as she gathered the others, and approached the third story of the household.

"Dammit, come on, man… You've had worse than this!" Yukiko chuckled as she went to tending his wounds, "This ain't nothin' compared to some of the other stuff we've gone through!"

"I've had better, too," Toshiro admitted, "How is it, whenever I'm with you, I seem to always have some sort of physical punishment done unto my body…?"

"I guess it's just the luck of your clan…" Yukiko chuckled, "You want a light?"

"Sure, what the hell? It's not what's gonna kill me, at any rate," Toshiro grumbled. Yukiko smirked, placed two cigarettes in her mouth, lit them, and placed one in Toshiro's mouth, "I sure hope that they make it…"

"Don't worry, it's Fuji. Of course they'll make it… What else would they do?" Yukiko reassured him as she took a drag of the cigarette. She looked downward questioningly as Toshiro grabbed onto one of her wrists and pulled her down to his level.

"Listen… I just want you to know that I really do want you to marry me, okay?" Toshiro whispered.

Yukiko chuckled tiredly, and shook her head, "You get better, all right? Don't worry about that right now… We'll both worry about that when you're not bleeding everywhere…."

"Hm, that's good…"

"What is?"

"You didn't say no," Toshiro smirked, "That mean that I have a chance?"

"Just calm down, buddy… We'll fix this up soon, and then we'll straighten this all out when you aren't trying to play a pity card because you're wounded…"

"Damn, saw right through me…"

"It's always been like that, though," Yukiko said playfully.

"…. I love you, Yuki…"

"Hpmh… Need to tighten your bandages," Yukiko muttered.

"All right, I'll bring it up again when I'm better…. You wouldn't believe anything I said now, would you?"

"You're just a bumbling maniac with blood loss, as far as I'm concerned," Yukiko replied as-a-matter-of-factly as she tightened a few of his bandages.

Meanwhile, the Lupin gang and inspectors had made it up to the third story, and Fuji was now working on picking the lock to the door. Ally pulled out a gun, and shot the lock off, sending it flying and opening the door.

"I would've figured that out!" said Fuji.

"Sure you would've…" Ally snorted skeptically, "C'mon, Fuji… Let's kick your cousin's ass so I can get home and sharpen my skates and call my girl…"

"Agreed," Fuji nodded, placing her lock-picking kit back into her jacket and following in with the others, her gun drawn. A bullet fired, barely missing Heiji, who jumped back in surprise. They looked to an opened window, where Victor stood, Ryo at his side.

"Ryoko!" Leo gasped, taking a step forward. Max grabbed onto Leo, and pulled him out of the way just as Ryo fired a shot at him. It winged past both of their heads, and landed in a painting, straight through the eyes of a 15th century countess.

"I could get a shot of cuffing her," Max mumbled.

"What, are you sure?" Leo whispered.

"Yeah. You and your sister keep Victor out of my way, and I'll get her under control…" Max said, gripping onto a set of handcuffs he had kept concealed in his jacket.

"Psst! Fuji!" Leo nudged his sister, "I've got a plan…"

"About damn time!" Fuji sighed in relief, "What is it?"

"I'm going to distract Victor…" whispered Leo.

"We could just have Dori flash him…." said Fuji.

"Hey!" snapped Odori.

"Are you ladies done with your knitting circle yet, or do I have to start shooting to get the floor here!?" snapped Victor with annoyance.

"We're calling a five-minute time out to think of our next plan of attack, Coach," Fuji smiled widely.

"Wha--, I… You little bitch… I'm going to love chopping you up into little pieces and stuffing you into a box!" growled Victor, cocking his gun. Ryo did the same, all while still in her trance, "She shoots your brother, you shoot her, I shoot you… We all win…"

"I would never shoot her! She's Jigen and I'm Lupin—We'd never do anything like that!" said Fuji.

"We'll see how true you are to your word when your brother's corpse is lying at your feet…" grumbled Victor.

"Hey, Victor!" he heard called to him. Before he knew what had hit him, Leo had grabbed his gun out of his hand, and went running towards the open window where there was a balcony. Fuji went to run after the two, but Ryo stopped this by firing at her feet. Max threw his handcuffs, but Ryo shot at these, and they broke in half in midair.

"She's got one bullet left… We can grab her, then…" whispered Odori.

"Nah, that what's got a reserve…" replied Ally.

"A what?" inquired Odori.

"A seventh bullet… She has two left… One for Fuji, one for Ari…" added Heiji.

Leo gulped as he looked down at the two stories below him. It was a windy night, and it was also black out, save for the moon and stars and a distant city in the background.

Victor had followed him out, another gun drawn, and smiled as he laid eyes on Leo, "I have hardly any bullets left in that thing!"

"Hey, what do you know, I have great aim, so I don't need that many to begin with," replied Leo.

"Try as you might, you'll never be able to run from who you really are, Arsene… Your friend knows, and soon your place of employment will know, and then the world…" chuckled Victor, "And then you'll be up Crap Creek without a paddle…"

"Yeah, but you know what, there'll be people there along for the ride with me, Victor… Not even you can say that… You have to brainwash people to get them to work for you!" snapped Leo, gripping onto the gun and gulping dryly, "I can think of at least two dozen people off the bat who love me and miss me… And I know I've hurt them, but I also know that they'll still love me, know matter how much I screw up!"

"Charming… Enough with the banter, let's get to business," Victor smirked, raising his gun and aiming at Leo. Two shots fired, and Leo flew off of the balcony, while Victor simply slumped down onto the concrete balcony.

"Ari!" shrieked Ryo and Fuji, who ran out to the balcony.

"Oh no, oh no… Leo!" Max muttered numbly, following them out.

One story below, Toshiro and Yukiko shuddered as they heard a shot and then a splash from down below, on the ground level.

"I hope what I think happened didn't happen," Yukiko whispered to Toshiro, who only continued to worsen in his condition.

By this time, Odori, Heiji, and Ally also joined the others out of the balcony. Max was the first to begin to run downstairs in search of Leo, followed by the others. Heiji was the only one to stay in, by Victor.

"Please be alive, Pal… Please…" Max prayed as he scaled down the steps.

Heiji turned, and looked downward at Victor, who had received a wound in the arm. He kneeled down in front of Victor, and glared as Victor began to speak.

"Hm… You, you're the intelligent one out of them, I can tell… How about you help me, and I help you, eh?" Victor inquired hopefully, "Anything you want at all could be yours…."

"Sorry, I don't deal with scum," said Heiji coolly, "This is a warning… If you ever come near Fuji, or Dori, or anyone of us again, you'll regret it…"

"Big talk for a big guy," Victor chuckled wryly, "Hey, hey, what the hell are you doing?" he asked worriedly as Heiji revealed a syringe which held a clear, almost water-like liquid.

"Microchips… In your bloodstream… Their destination—Your heart, your brains, your lungs…" said Heiji calmly, "Something I've been working on a while… When I'm not playing _Quake_, that is…"

"What will they do?" asked Victor in a choke.

"What do you think?" Heiji smirked, "I have the controls to it… If you so much as breath near us again, I turn it on, and you can kiss Mr. Circulation bye-bye," snapped Heiji, injecting Victor.

"You lousy son of a bitch! That's blackmail!" growled Victor.

"Hey, I'm only playing by your rules… Have a nice day, and get that arm checked out," Heiji smiled almost too cheerily for Victor's liking, and exited, "Oh, one last thing…" he turned, and removed the diamond from Victor's pocket, "I'll be taking this…"

"This won't the last you'll be hearing from me, you understand!?" Victor growled, "I'm going to have your ass buried in lead!"

"Yap, yap, yap," Heiji sighed as he exited, "The things I do for love…" he muttered with a roll of the eyes as he walked down the steps to Yukiko and Toshiro, "How's he doing?"

"Running a fever…." replied Yukiko worriedly, feeling Toshiro's forehead once more, "He's breaking into a cold sweat, too…"

"Get your fedora, we'll get him out of here," replied Heiji.

"What happened upstairs?" asked Yukiko as the two lifted Toshiro up and began to transport him down a flight of stairs.

"I'd rather not talk about it, honestly," replied Heiji as they walked through the rubble of the first floor and eased Toshiro into the back of the Alpha Romeo, "It'll be okay, Bro… We'll get you some help, soon…"

"Take him now!" they heard. Heiji caught a set of keys, and looked upward in surprise to see Ryo.

"Hey, what happened to…." Heiji started.

"I don't know," Ryo shook her head, "All I know is we…. We still haven't found Ari…"

"We'll go together. You make sure Fuji destroys this, not keep it," Heiji said, tossing her the diamond.

"Such an amount of trouble for such a tiny thing…" Ryo said in awe as she stared at it. She shook her head, and walked back to the others, who were still searching for Leo/Ari at this time. Yukiko and Heiji drove off with Toshiro, leaving five to search for the missing Lupin.

"Leo!" Max called.

"Ari!" Fuji shouted.

"Over here!" they heard. Both broke into a run, and found Leo sitting at the pool wringing out his purple jacket, "That water hurt to jump into, let me tell you! It's freezing in there!"

"Ha ha! You're okay!" Max crowed happily, embracing Leo. He then realized what he was doing, and let go of his hold on the confused LeBlanc, "Um… Good job, back there… Officer LeBlanc…."

"Thanks… I took a tumble off of the balcony when he shot, figuring I could land in the pool safely," said Leo.

"You did that before, too…" said Ryo as she sat next to him, "When you were at my house… Hm, you jumped out the window as my dad came in to wish me a good night… Ally caught you and nearly bludgeoned you to death with one of his hockey trophies…"

"That's why you grew your hair out… You still had knots from it weeks afterward," Fuji chuckled, scruffing his hair playfully, "How're you doing, Leo? Hope I wasn't too big a pain in the ass…"

"No more than usual," replied Leo with a chuckle, "Where're the others?"

"Yukiko and Heiji went to the hospital with Toshiro… I'm not sure where Ally and Odori are…" admitted Fuji.

Another part of the woods:

"Dori, that you?" Ally inquired as he heard a shuffle in the woods. He saw in a clearing that Odori was seated on the hearth of the clearing, her sword drawn, "What in the hell are you doing!?"

"I am the cause for my brother's injuries…" explained Odori, "I could have very well killed him!"

"You could have, but you didn't!" replied Ally, "He's going to be all right… Just… drop… the knife…"

"I must make up for this great fault in my judgement… I was a fool to fall under the spell of a shining object…"

"No bigger than the rest of us!" said Ally hurriedly, "Dori, we need you! And if you think Toshiro's hurt now, he'll be even more hurt if you off yourself! He already thinks he's the reason for the death of Julia and his kid, you want to put that burden on him, too!?"

Odori paused, "It is sad when the one known as being crazed is trying to talk sense into me…. We shall see how he fares… I shall stay by his side as I stayed by Heiji's… It is what any samurai would do…."

"You're wrong… It's what any sister'd do," replied Ally. Odori chuckled under her breath, rose, sheathed her blade, and followed Ally out of the clearing. They left on Toshiro's Vespa, headed towards the hospital. This left Fuji, Ryo, Leo and Max alone at Victor's home.

"Here, Zenigata. I was told to give this to Fuji, but I think you could handle it better than I could…" said Ryo, pulling the diamond out of her pocket and tossing it to Zenigata while Fuji looked onward, stunned.

"Ryo, Ryo-san!" she gaped.

"I'll buy you something pretty to make up for it, Princess, okay?" Ryo smirked, patting Fuji on the back.

"Aw, hell, give it to them, and with bells on your heels, for God's sakes! It's been nothing but a pain in the ass for me!" Fuji sighed flippantly, "It's so pretty, though…" she moaned sadly.

"We have to head out, now, too," Ryo said, "Ari, are you coming?… Ari?"

Leo sighed, and rose, "He'd answer you if he were still here, Ryoko… But he isn't… It's just me, now, and I know it's hard for you to accept, but he's going to be gone for a while…"

"Well, do you know if he'll ever be back?" Ryo asked.

Leo shrugged, "Who knows… It could be a long time…"

"Well, Mister LeBlanc… I'd like to ask a favor of you, then," said Ryo with a smirk.

"Ur, um… Wh-what?" Leo asked as his face began to rouge.

"Would it be okay if I kissed the brave inspector who saved me?" Ryo inquired.

"Um… Well, I…"

Ryo leaned downward, and pecked Max on the cheek, "Good job, Zenigata…. See you boys around…. Come on, Fuji… I'll buy you some ice cream…"

"Oh, and a pony—Please say yes to a pony!" said Fuji with mock excitement.

"Smartass…. C'mon," sighed Ryo as they both strolled away from the pool.

"Aren't we going to arrest them?" Leo inquired as he seated himself next to Max.

"I'm out of handcuffs and I'm out of energy," Max yawned.

"Well, I guess this closes your case, then… I have no idea where to go from here, honestly…" Leo admitted, "Well, yeah, I do, actually… You kept your part of the bargain, now it's my turn… Could you make sure they put me in a jail with good food, at least?"

"I want you to do something for me," Max said after a pause.

"Ur, sure, anything," replied Leo.

Max removed the diamond from his pocket, "Use this on me, and then get rid of it…"

"What!?"

"I… I want to go back to the way it was before, Leo…." replied Max, "I know that I'll find out about you someday, but I don't want to now… I'll find out when I'm ready…. Just make it how it was before, okay?"

"Max, I…."

"I know you know how to use that thing, so use it," said Max sternly.

"Okay," Leo nodded, and removed the diamond from Max's grasp, still in shock over Zenigata's strange request, "Anything else?"

"Yeah, I wanted to tell you something earlier…" Max replied. He leaned inward, and whispered to Leo. He smirked as he noted Leo's shocked expression as he pulled away from LeBlanc, "Please don't tell me I said that to you… I'd never be able to live it down…."

"Yeah," Leo nodded numbly, "I can't believe you…Well, let's get this done with…"

"Nice working with you, Lupin IV…." said Max as Leo lifted the diamond upward to the ever-approaching sunlight.

A few weeks later, a local hospital:

"Hey, you ready to go, Buddy?" Yukiko inquired as she tossed Toshiro's suitcase onto his bed.

"As ready as ever… I'll miss the cute nurses in the short skirts, though," Toshiro sighed as he finished tying his gi together. He rose from his hospital bed, and followed Yukiko out of the hospital. Outside, Ryo was at the driver's wheel, with Fuji at shotgun. Ally, Heiji, and Odori sat in the backseat, and his Vespa sat parked behind them, "How'd it get here?"

"I drove it," replied Yukiko as she tossed his luggage into the drunk of the Alpha Romeo and slammed the door shut. She hopped onto it, and smiled cockily, "You ready, Mr. Isaac?"

"Well, with such a lovely chauffeur, how could I possibly hesitate?" Toshiro laughed as he mounted the back seat of the bike.

"Cute… But allow me to warn you know, if your hands travel any more south or north than they already are, I'll start taking limbs…" said Yukiko as she revved up the vehicle.

"Oh, you mean like this?"

"Bastard! Why I—"

"Hey, are you kids ready?" Ryo called as she adjusted her rearview mirror and glanced at the duo in her reflection.

"Lupin! Get the hell over here, right now!" all heard in a familiar growl.

"Oh, crap, it's Blondie!" Ally choked, "Step on it, Ryoko!"

"Hey, Zenigata, you and LeBlanc enjoying the honeymoon!?" Fuji laughed as Ryo and Yukiko both started up their vehicles.

"Very funny! Now get over here! You're all under arrest!" Max shouted, sticking his torso out of the window and waving a set of handcuffs while Leo desperately tried to maneuver through the busy city streets.

"I'll bet you say that to all of the girls you want in handcuffs!" Fuji howled with laughter.

"Why you—LeBlanc, floor it!" Max demanded.

"Ah, I love my job…" Leo sighed happily as he pressed the gas pedal to the floor and sped away with Max, who remained oblivious to any of the doings of weeks past. Although he now knew that it would not stay like this forever, Leo, personally, would have it no other way.


	29. Chicago

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Lupin, but I'm sure if I did I'd be working on a much better computer…

Hey!

Sorry this is so late coming—No, this story isn't over yet, but I'm thinking that by January I'll have but everything I need to into this story (this doesn't mean the end of my writing, however… It doesn't even mean the end of Fuji and the gang, either, hint, hint)…. I've been very, very busy lately, hence my lack of input. I will continue, however, and I'll never end a story without first warning you guys… Thanks for all of the reviews, by the way! See you guys around!

Chapter Twenty Nine

A Few Weeks Later: Chicago

__

'Words are flowing out,

like endless rain inside a

letterbox,'

—The Beatles,_ 'Across the Universe'_

Chicago, Illinois:

"The night Chicago died…. I heard my momma pray the night Chicago died…" Ryo sang as she turned a hard left, causing everyone to shift in the car and also making Toshiro more aware of his surroundings. She had nearly run the samurai, Yukiko, and his Vespa with her sharp turning. Fuji fell out of her seat, and landed on the floor panel of the vehicle.

"You don't have to get so into a song, Ryo-san…" Fuji moaned as she pulled herself up from the floor and buckled her safety belt.

"I'm regretting installing a CD player in this thing!" Heiji moaned, "Ally, why'd you have to put your ice skates back here? Ow…"

"At least you just didn't get his bony ass on your lap…" Odori muttered.

"Hey, it's not that bony!" snapped Ally.

"Your weight probably doubles when you but on your hockey padding…" Heiji chuckled.

"And I end up weighing as much as you do…" Ally retorted. Heiji put his abrupt stop to his laughter, and shot a glare at a smiling Ally.

"Woah, hey, Ryoko, watch it!" Toshiro called as Ryo drifted over towards him and Yukiko once again.

"Whoops, sorry!" Ryo smiled and waved apologetically to Toshiro, "I guess I'm just happy about seeing Mom and Dad and Martha…"

"I still say you should've left me at the airport…"Heiji grumbled.

"Oh, Sachiko's improving all of the time, Heiji-chan! Don't worry!" Fuji smiled as she looked back at Heiji.

"I'm sorry, am I the only one who remembers me getting shot?" Heiji wondered aloud sarcastically, "This is a bad idea, Fujiko…"

"Hey, that's my line! I'm the one who tells her she's an idiot!" Ryo said as she switched lanes. Toshiro followed along side her, and they exited off a highway and headed towards a smaller town, where a small bookstore blended in with the rest of the nondescript buildings as they pulled up. All exited, and walked into the bookstore.

"Daisuke Jigen, this is the FBI! The gig's up!" Fuji shouted. Jigen, who had been seated at the front desk, dropped the coffee mug he had been quietly drinking from, and grabbed a handgun from beneath the desk. He gaped in surprise as he laid eyes at who it was, but them grumbled with annoyance as he placed his gun back in its safe box.

"Dammit, Fujiko!" Jigen growled, "You could've had yourself friggin' killed! What the hell would you have done if I had shot you, huh!?"

"I knew you wouldn't," Fuji shrugged.

"Hi, Daddy!" Ryo smiled as she walked over to her father and embraced him, "How are you?"

"Extremely stressed, now," Jigen muttered as he returned Ryo's embrace and then greeted Yukiko and Ally similarly.

"Hey, I hate to break this up, but I've got to pick someone up from the airport," said Ally as he looked down at his watch.

"You've made friends?" Jigen inquired with genuine interest.

"Yeah… Just wait, Dad… You'll love my guest! Absolutely love them!" said Ally cheerily as he backed towards the shop door.

"I'll go with you, Ally…" said Odori, "The idea of you having any friends peaks my interest, plus you aren't safe to be left to drive alone."

"Hey, take me, too!" Heiji added, "Please don't leave me, Odori…" he whispered. As he shuffled out of the shop, he looked in the corner of his eye and saw a familiar dark haired-woman stocking books. Heiji and Sachiko shared a cold stare, and Heiji then commenced to kick Odori in the behind in order to get her to move faster towards the car. Odori turned and growled, and Heiji quickly ran towards the Alfa Romeo.

"Some things never change…" Jigen chuckled.

"Hey, Dad… You got any books on John Dillinger?" Yukiko whispered confidentially to her father.

"Oh, yeah…. I've got lots of books on him… Big books, small ones… Concealable ones…" said Jigen with a chuckle.

"You got semi-automatic?" Yukiko inquired.

"Now what do you want with a semi-automatic gun, ur, book?" Jigen asked, "What's wrong with the Magnum?"

"Nothing… If I'm Clyde Barrow…." replied Yukiko with a sigh, "I want it as a back up…. Just in case my other 'book' jams…. Any police books would be great…."

"Okay, okay…" Jigen sighed, "Anything else?"

"Something with a seeker, perhaps?"

"What in the hell are you planning to do while you're here, anyway!?" Jigen asked with an annoyed snap.

"A little side business I'm working on…" replied Yukiko with a cough, "People think I'm very good with books, here, and they pay me big bucks to deliver books to other people…"

"Why can't you just say gun?" inquired Toshiro.

Jigen coughed, and began to tap on the wooden table, 'Because the place may be bugged' he tapped onto the counter in Morse code. Toshiro nodded in understanding, and turned back to the book selection. Ryoko and Yukiko continued to speak with their father excitedly while Toshiro wandered through the aisles. Fuji went downstairs and past a secret door where the John Dillinger 'books' (guns) were kept.

"So, Dad, you have any idea what Mom's having, yet?" Yukiko inquired.

"That's where she is right now… Finding out…" replied Jigen, his tone apparently nervous.

"I hope it's a girl… Dad always spoils girls…." Ryo smiled and said with a chuckle to her sister.

"Yeah… Even though he pretends to hate women!" Yukiko added, nudging her father, who was less than amused by their talk of him, "He treated Ally like a prince too, though," Yukiko added.

"Cute… You smart asses want to give your old man a hand, here?" Jigen sighed and he jumped over the counter and walked up a flight of wooden stairs to a second story in the bookstore.

"What's up, Dad?" asked Ryo worriedly as she watched Jigen's expression change to worry.

"It's…. I'll tell you later… Your mom's back," Jigen replied as he watched the door to the shop open, "Hey, you owe me fifty bucks, now, right!?" he smiled as he surveyed Ming's expression, "I told you it was a boy!"

"You're so dead," Ming said with a glare, looking upward at shaking her head at Jigen critically.

"A boy!? Wow! Told ya!" Jigen laughed.

Ming picked up a nearby dictionary, and threw it at Jigen's head, where it made impact, "Twin girls, you son of a bitch! What the hell is wrong with you, anyway!? Twin girls, at thirty-nine!? Do you want to friggin' kill me?"

"Girls… T-twins?" Jigen gulped dryly.

"Um… Dad… You… You okay?" Yukiko wondered aloud, laying a hand upon her shoulder shakily.

"Congratulations, Jigen!" Toshiro said with a wide smile, oblivious to any of Ming's ranting. Yukiko sighed heavily, and slapped a hand over her face. The New Yorker could be so very clueless, at times….

A Local Airport:

"That must be Ally's friend…." said Odori to Toshiro as they watched Ally run over to what looked to be a boy about his age in a blue windbreaker, jeans, sneakers and red baseball cap.

"They must be close…" said Heiji as he watched the two embrace tightly.

"Very…" Odori noted as Ally leaned inward and kissed his blonde guest. Ally smiled, and walked over to the duo, an arm about his friend's waist.

"I know it looks weird, but this isn't who you think it is," Ally chuckled as he looked over at his friend. It took a few moments to register, and Heiji was the first to realize who it actually was.

"How'd you…" Heiji wondered aloud.

"My mother told me it was all right to do so…" Carmen replied, "I decided to travel incognito, in order to avoid the press… She still doesn't know about my new haircut, however…" she added with a chuckle, running a hand behind her head, where her hair had been cut short.

"Wow… Carmen, long time, no see!" said Heiji happily.

"You've been planning this a while, Ally?" Odori inquired with a smirk.

"Yeah… Pretty sneaky, but I just had to see her for a little bit!" said Ally with a tone of deep justification for his actions, "I can't wait to have you meet my parents! They ought to love you!"

"I would very much like to go out into the city with you, as well, if time permits," added Carmen as the four walked over to luggage return. Heiji begrudgingly ended up with Carmen's suitcase, and followed behind the others as they walked out of the airport.

"Even Sgt. Sociopath can find someone…." Heiji grumbled as he began to trail a little from the group, "I work my ass off for the group, and about the only time Fuji talks to me is when she wants something…. Makes me wonder how her dad survives her mom, sometimes! If her parents had any sense, they would have never let that girl around men… It's always the techies who get beat on… Everyone thinks we're lazy, but without us, there'd be nothing!"

"You say something, Heiji?" Odori wondered as she stopped and hopped into the passenger seat of the car. Heiji shook his head, stuffed Carmen's suitcase into the trunk, and seated himself next to her. Ally got into the driver's side of the car, and Carmen filled up the passenger seat.

"Nothing, Dori," Heiji grumbled darkly, folding his arms and slumping into his seat, looking a great deal like a small child.

"My parents are going to love you," said Ally as he shifted the gears on the car and backed out of the parking lot and drove out onto the highway, "My mom's a terrific cook! And my dad's…. My dad's…"

"A good conversationalist?" Heiji suggested.

Ally snorted, "Yeah… That's like saying I always solve an argument in an adult manner…"

"Well, hopefully we'll be able to visit them without interruption," said Carmen with a smile as she reached over and placed a hand over Ally's. Jigen flushed, and smiled… Odori watched the scenery go by, and Heiji glowered.

Interpol HQ, Paris, France:

Max and Leo had been called back to Paris in order to meet their new boss. Both had complained that they had a lead on Lupin in Chicago, but they were still forced to travel back to their offices to report. Leo had taken this opportunity to clean out his office, which had grown dusty. Another desk had been added since he had last been in there, and Max had been in earlier to set it up. Leo was nearly finished cleaning out his paperwork, dusting his shelving, restocking his mini-fridge, and doing other small tasks about the office. While he did this, he thought back to a few weeks ago, right before Max had forced him to hide his identity once again.

__

'I… I can help but to wonder if he's really… No, he had had a rough night!' Leo convinced himself as he briefly paused his dusting motion. He went back to his dusting, but there was never a pause in his thinking, _'Thank God he can't remember any of it! He'd probably slit his wrists if he found out he told me what he did…'_

"LeBlanc, quit with the wenchwork a second! The boss wants to see us…. The new boss…" said Max, sticking his head in the doorway of their office. Max retracted his head out of the office, glaring his nameplate as he did so. L. LeBlanc and K. Zenigata. Someone had used his father's old nameplate for the office, "Cheap bastards…" he grumbled as he shoved his hands in his pockets and stormed down the hall. He could hear Leo not far behind him, trotting along behind. The duo walked down to the commissioner's office, Leo's hands full of paperwork on the case. When Max opened the door, he found a red-headed woman at the desk, sorting through files.

"Hello there, Ma'am, you must be the secretary…Um, could you tell me when the commissioner will be back?" Max inquired with a smile.

"Max…" Leo whispered, nudging his friend.

"Not now, LeBlanc," Max brushed his friend's warnings off, "Do you think we could leave a number with you, at least? Here, I'll write it down for you and everything…"

"Max, she _is_ the commissioner!" Leo whispered desperately, being sure to conceal his face from her with his stack of paperwork.

"Oh… Oh! My apologies!" Max laughed heartily, "Yes, what do you know… Hee hee… Commissioner's name is 'Cecilia'…. Hee hee… Must, must need new glasses…."

"Leo LeBlanc and Koichi Zenigata, I presume…" she sighed tiredly.

"Actually," Max started, "it's—"

"I was told about both of you… More rather, I was warned… By all of your peers and thensome… You, Mister Zenigata, are the son of the notorious inspector…. And you, Mister LeBlanc, who seems to have come from nowhere…. Mister LeBlanc, could I see your face, please?"

"Um… Y-yeah…. Sorry," Leo replied shyly, lifting his head above the paperwork.

"You may set that down on my desk…. I'll look through it later…" she replied, "Mister LeBlanc, you worked here as a translator, first…. How'd you get promoted?"

"I took online courses," replied Leo.

She gave a long pause, but did not give her emotions away by her facial expressions, but her mouth slightly twitched upon this news, "I'll go over the paperwork myself…Mister Zenigata, you are dismissed… I must have a word with Mister LeBlanc, however…"

__

'Oh, crap! I'm sunk!' thought Leo worriedly as he watched Max exit, a look of confusion and worry upon his face.

Cecilia stood, and walked over to Leo, "You can lay the paperwork over there, thank you."

"Uh, sure," Leo nodded, and set the large pile onto the table. He then turned and gave a weak and nervous smile to the commissioner, "Well, I guess I'll be going, now…. Hee hee… Nice to meet you, Commissioner— Uh, I didn't catch your last name, and my reading glasses are in my office…"

"It doesn't matter…" she replied, "So, the Lupin case must leave you incredibly busy…"

"Oh, you bet! I go in between thinking I'm married to my work and married to Max!" Leo chuckled.

"You two are an item?" she inquired, turning to Leo.

"No!" Leo yelped, "Um… Everyone thinks that, b-but we aren't…"

"Oh, I see," she stepped closer to Leo, "When do you leave next?"

"Hrm? Um… Tomorrow…"

"How about dinner tonight, then?" she asked.

"Um… You… And me?"

She nodded, "My treat, even! I suppose you'd consider me a little unethical in that sense…"

"No, I love the idea of it!" Leo smiled sheepishly, "My finances aren't looking that great, as of recent… I let Max balance out my account—Big mistake. Don't get me wrong, I love the guy, but he can't count if he keeps his shoes on…"

"Well, perhaps we could work on pooling together some funding, so that you two can continue to search for Lupin," said Cecilia with a smile which unnerved Leo.

The Next Day, Three A.M., Max and Leo's apartment:

"Five minutes, and I go look for him…" Max said aloud as another minute was overtaken on the cable box of their television, "Where is he? He's never stayed out this later before…. I hope something didn't happen to him…. W-What if he's dead in a ditch somewhere-- And I have that guilt!? Where the hell is my coat?" he wondered to himself as he rose and frantically began to search for his jacket. Just as he located it (in the kitchen) he heard the door open, and he quietly drew his gun, and slowly walked out into the living room. Leo gave a yell of surprise, as did Max, when Max rushed out.

"Leo! Where the hell have you been!?" snapped Max, "Do you have any idea how worried I've—Where were you!?"

"Dinner turned into a lot more, and…. Um, let's just say that we're getting a lot of funding to continue chasing the Lupin gang…" replied Leo with a cough.

"Did you….?"

"Listen, I'm really drunk, right now… So I'm going to go lie down…." he muttered, tripping over his shoes as he stumbled into his room and crashed down onto his bed. He was nearly asleep when he heard someone walk into his bedroom. He lifted his head, and saw Max in his room, holding what looked to be a cup of fresh coffee.

"I hear it stops headaches caused by hangovers… I read it in a medical journal somewhere," Max explained as he passed the cup of coffee to a bewildered Leo, "Have a good night, Pal. Rest up—We've got a long, long flight tomorrow morning…"

"Um, thanks, Zenigata…." said Leo slowly, sipping and cringing at the bitterness of the coffee. It wasn't a bad kind of bitter, like he was accustomed to—More rather, it was the best coffee he had ever tasted…. Thank God Max could at least cook, thought Leo as he watched Zenigata exit the bedroom, shutting the door as he left.

"Poor little creep… Can't help but feel sorry for him, sometimes…" Max mumbled as he shut his own bedroom door and went to undoing his necktie, "I mean, he has to be drunk to go out with someone and not freak out… I wonder what the hell happened to him, sometimes…" He finished preparing for bed, and laid down upon his mattress, hoping for a restful night's sleep. He found this was not meant to be as he heard his door open, and he looked upward to see Leo standing in front of him, looking as sheepish as ever.

"Um… This'll sound really juvenile, but… I had this really, really bad dream… Again…" Leo explained, scratching the back of his head and looking downward at the ground. Max heaved a breath heavily, pulled back the covers, turned on a light, and put his glasses on.

"You pick out a movie… I'll make some popcorn… We can sleep on the flight there…" Max muttered tiredly as he shuffled out to the kitchen.

"Thanks again, Max…"

"Eh, no problem…" Max yawned as he flipped on the kitchen light switch and went to preparing food for their movie.

Meanwhile, back in Chicago, the Jigen residence:

"Hey, Mom, where are Ryo, Yuki, Fuji and the bastard—er, Toshiro?" asked Ally with a smirk as he stood next to his mother, who was baking in the kitchen of the residence, "I want them to meet my friend…"

"They're in the basement… Your dad went into town with 'Chiko to buy something for dinner," answered Ming as she removed a cake from the oven and sat it down on a metal grating, in order to cool it, "You want something, Ally? Cakes, muffins, cookies….?"

"Um, not now, Mom," replied Ally, who secretly disliked such sweets but refrained from telling his mother so. He smiled, and walked back out into the living room, where Carmen was sitting upon a couch. Heiji and Odori were bickering as usual, this time over a movie that the two had found on cable.

"Come on, they're downstairs…" Ally said excitedly, taking her by the hand and leading her down into the basement. Carmen let out a gasp, and Ally's face flushed as they entered the den. Ryo, Fuji and Toshiro sat around a wooden table, a board game in the center. All were in different states of undress as they played the game.

"What in the world are you three doing!?" Ally yelped.

"Well, we couldn't find cards for a game of poker, so we opted for strip Candyland," replied Fuji.

"Ryo, you agreed to it!?" Ally yelped.

Ryo shrugged, "What have I got to lose? I grew up with these guys, anyway…"

"I was just tricked into playing this…" Toshiro replied solemnly.

"We had him under the impression that Yukiko'd be playing, too," Fuji chuckled as she moved her piece a few places. Toshiro glared at Fuji from across the table, but made no protest to Fuji's claims.

"Is that Carmen?" Ryo gasped.

"Yeah…" Ally replied through a gritted-tooth smile.

"Hey!" Fuji waved back to Carmen, "You two want in?"

"Um, no thank you… But thank you for the generous offer," replied Carmen with a nervous smile.

"How about you, Ally?" asked Fuji.

"No, thanks… I'm going to show her around the place, actually… Hey, where's Yukiko?" Ally inquired, looking around the den for his sister.

"Probably out shooting something, is my guess," Ryo shrugged, "Okay, Fuji… Your loss… And those high heels are looking nice…"

"Let's get out of here before you suffer from any more trauma, shall we?" Ally suggested.

"Sounds wonderful. Well, let's be off, then!" said Carmen with a beaming smile.

Ally breathed a sigh of relief, and walked with her at his side back up the stairs and into the first story of the home. "Come on, I'll show you my room!" he said, leading her up another flight. There were numerous doors down the long hall of the home, and there was no question as to whose room was whose. Ryo's room was filled with old western memorabilia, Yukiko's was filled with different sorts of guns shown off on the walls, and Ally's carried a great deal of hockey-related objects.

"My goodness!" Carmen laughed as she looked about the room, "We'll have to assemble a hockey league back home! Hm, just think… A royal who assembled Europe's first serious hockey team…"

"Heh, it could work," Ally shrugged, seating himself on his bed and looking upward at her, "I wonder if Prince Charles likes hockey…"

"He isn't very fond of it, actually," Carmen replied.

"How do you know that?" asked Ally.

"Mother and I had dinner with him a few nights ago," Carmen answered.

"Well, well, well… You're just full of surprises, aren't you?" Ally chuckled, stopping and placing his hands on her waist, and then leaning down to kiss her.

"Awww…. That's so sweet!" Fuji cooed as she glanced out of the basement window. She turned back to Ryo and Toshiro, who were putting away the board game—Odori had come down after Ally and Carmen and threatened to chop off each of their heads if they didn't knock off the sick game they were playing, "Well, I'm heading upstairs, to talk to Ming…"

"Hey, Fuji, could you talk with my dad later? He was acting a little weird earlier…" said Ryo.

"He lives with Sachiko! Who wouldn't act weird!?" Fuji chuckled as she began to climb up the stairs. She looked up at the top of the flight, and saw Sachiko staring down at her with an icy glare. Jigen stood behind Sachiko, and he nervously turned from Fuji and his daughter and pushed his fedora over his eyes, and whistled shrilly as he turned away from the duo.

"Hee hee… Sachi-chan…… How are you? Good, I hope?" said Fuji with a wide smile.

"I'm going to go get some bread!" Sachiko called to her parents. She shot Fuji one last cold glare, which sent chills down Lupin's spine, and then vanished.

"Idiot!" Ryo yelled.

"Whaddya think you were doin'!?" Toshiro shrieked in a thicker-than usual Brooklyn accent. Ryo walked over to Fuji, and smacked her upside the head. Fuji moaned, and rubbed the sore area.

"Ow! You don't have to be so mean!" Fuji whined.

"Do you ever think without opening your mouth first!?" Ryo asked angrily.

"Well…"

"Her brain's been saturated with Chanel No. 5… There aren't enough cells left to maintain life and thinking ability at the same time…" Toshiro mumbled.

"You sounded a lot like your dad just then, did you know that?" Fuji said after a pause.

"Up stairs, Fuji… Before you get Toshiro made at you, too," sighed Ryo tiredly, "I'm never having children…. I'm already raising one!"

"Amen to that…" grumbled Toshiro as he watched Fuji scale the flight of stairs, all the time rubbing her sore head.

Later that night, after an especially tense dinner (without Yukiko, who had gone missing), Fuji pulled Jigen aside, and began her interrogation of the former gunman.

"I got this in a magazine a few weeks back…" replied Jigen, retrieving an article from underneath his fedora.

"Yeah… An Egyptian mask… Big deal is?" Fuji shrugged.

"Here," Jigen took the article from her, and walked into the den with her, "Ming actually spotted this… My vision isn't that great anymore, you know…" he walked her over to a white machine in a corner that looked like an oversized microscope with a screen. He flipped a light on, and placed the paper on the flat surface. The same article appeared on the screen, but much, much larger.

"What in the world is this thing?" Fuji inquired.

"It helps people whose vision isn't the best to read small print," replied Jigen.

"Have you gotten any more surgeries lined up, Old Man?" asked Fuji.

"Two… If the first one works, I'll have some vision restored to my blind eye…. I'm only doing it because I actually want to see my kids, and my grandkids… This'll be my seventeenth surgery…" he sighed tiredly, "Your dad's great, though, Fuj… He found some of the best doctors on the planet to help me… And, as much as I hate to admit this…. Your mom helped out, too…. She's the one who found this doctor… Anyway, here's what I wanted to show you—I thought this might interest you…"

"That looks like my dad!" Fuji gasped as she squinted to see someone who looked nearly exact to her father, "B-but it's not him! That guy's too young! And Uncle Remy's too old too! When was this taken?"

"A few months ago…" replied Jigen.

"Then it couldn't be Ari! And Victor was in Indonesia during that time…" Fuji muttered, "Who in the world is that?"

"I've talked with Goemon, Lupin, and Amaya… Amaya says that this definitely isn't doctored, and your dad's freaked out over it," said Jigen as he glanced at the screen, "We're pretty sure there's only two explanations…"

"Which are?"

"One, it's some guy who looks up to your dad and has gone as far as modeling his looks after Lupin… Or two, you and Ari have a little brother who's carrying out the family business. Neither would surprise me, honestly, as many fans as your dad's made and as much as he's screwed around…" Jigen muttered.

"What do you mean by carrying on the family business?" asked Fuji.

"This article's about how this mask went missing exactly seven hours after this photo shoot," Jigen answered, "The thief left part of a page on the pedestal where it stood. I retrieved a real-size copy of the page, but I can't find any matching pages in my collection, the Smithsonian, the Library of Congress _or_ Google!" sighed Jigen.

"What about my dad? He ought to know about this stuff!" said Fuji, taking the page from Jigen.

"Well, I… I don't think that's very smart, Fuji… But then again, your family's never been really big on common sense… You see what he does… I have a fax machine down at the far end…" said Jigen, waving Fuji off and exiting the room. Fuji smirked, walked over to the fax machine, and dialed her home's number. It went through, and Fuji whistled as she waited for a response. The nearby telephone rang a few moments later.

"Jigen, what kind of a sicko are you!?" Lupin shrieked into the receiver.

"Um… Dad, it's me…" Fuji cleared her throat, and tried to quell the ringing in her ear as she did so.

"Oh, hey, Fuji! Is Jigen there...? After all of these years, his still as mean as ever…" Lupin muttered annoyedly.

"Did you get my fax?" inquired Fuji.

"Y-you sent that?" Lupin choked.

"Yep!" Fuji replied, "Well, do you know what it says?"

"Honey, baby, sweetheart, I love you and you know I'd do anything to help you… Except help you with this," replied Lupin.

"W-Why?" asked Fuji.

"Listen, it's a long story and it's very humiliating so Jigen ought to have a ball telling you!" said Lupin, "I've got to go now, Fuji… Your mom's dragging me to a play… The New York cast of _CATS_… I'm surprised Toshiro's not in it…"

"He was in the traveling cast five years ago," explained Fuji, "Dad, please, I'm begging you!"

"Good bye, Fuji…" and then silence.

"Grr…. You'll see what happens when a spoiled brat doesn't get her way!" growled Fuji as she slammed the phone down, "Apparently he forgets that _I'm_ a princess… And I always get my way…. Come hell or high water…" She swiveled about, and walked out into hall, where she could get a good view of the living room. Ally and Carmen were downstairs, on the couch, watching the television and speaking with one another quietly.

"At least one of us isn't alone at the end of the day," she said with a smirk, "Hey, Romeo—Get the gang together, okay?!"

"I still can't find Yukiko, though!" replied Ally, "No one's seen her all day!"

"We'll worry about her later… As of now, we've got some very tricky business on our hands…" replied Fuji with a smirk.


	30. Scenes from an Italian Restaurant

DISCLAIMER: Um… I'm a little too tired for wit, right now, hee hee… You guys all know I don't own Lupin yet…. But I also don't rule the world, yet, and that, too, shall change….

Welcome back!

Hope you didn't miss me horribly! Well, here's the (what, 1,000th?) chapter, as promised. Sorry about the slow updates, but I'm at school so much now I'm surprised I haven't been put on payroll, yet. As always, please enjoy, and leave advice and opinion if you want. Happy readings!

Chapter Thirty

A Little while Later: Scenes from an Italian Restaurant

__

'Is there anybody going to listen to my

story,

all about the girl who came to stay?'

—The Beatles, _'Girl'_

A Chicago Italian Restaurant:

Toshiro shot his head in the direction of a drunk rendition of a Frank Sinatra song as he stopped to rest for a moment. He had been searching for Yukiko all day, and had checked nearly all of her favorite hiding places. She had not returned that night, and now it was nearly evening on the next day. Jigen and Ming were a little worried, as were the others, but they had their hands full between Odori's attempts to assassinate Sachiko, their new bundles of joy, and getting to know their only son's future wife. So Toshiro was left to find the missing Lupin member and Jigen daughter.

"Holy… I should have known…" he sighed as he peered inside the green-tinted window and saw Yukiko seated at a table in the corner, a violin case at her side and a glass of wine in her hand. He opened the door to the dim restaurant, and approached her, "Where have you been?"

"Why, are you writing a book?" Yukiko retorted.

"No, but I'm writing a play…"

"Oh, really? You got a title for it?"

"Yep. '_Hey! Wow! I'm Thirty and I'm Still Alone!'_… It's a musical…" Toshiro responded. Yukiko smirked, and looked at him from beneath the brim of her white fedora.

"Have a seat, pour yourself a glass of wine. I had an extra glass put here in case one of my friends showed up," she instructed, "Sorry about the leaving so soon… I hope no one worried too much…"

"Well, I did," he admitted, "What have you been up to, anyway?"

"A little catching up with friends, a little catching up with enemies," replied Yukiko flippantly, "This is my second bottle…" she chuckled.

"Well, I'll help you finish off the other two you'll probably order," Toshiro said with a smirk, "So, is this our… It'd be about our fifth date in nearly twenty years of knowing one another…"

"This is actually around the time we met," replied Yukiko as she took a sip of her wine, "You almost sliced Lupin and Jigen up then…. You really were a moody little arrogant bastard when you were little, weren't you? Now you're a moody tall arrogant bastard…."

"And cute, too, as you put it!" Toshiro snapped, "But that was only because you had a crush on my dad…"

"What!? I—"

"You think I never read through your diary when we were little? Please…" Toshiro snorted, "I can't believe you said he had deep eyes…" he chuckled.

"Why you lousy… At least I never married a person I had a crush on!" she growled.

"I know, and it still frustrates me to this day…" he sighed, looking down into his glass of wine regretfully.

"I'm talking about Julia!"

"I know…. But, if you remember, I never married Julia," Toshiro pointed out, "She was one of those types who thought it was 'old-fashioned'."

"And what'd you think?"

"What'd a ring matter if I had a roof over my head and I shared that roof with someone I cared about?" he shrugged.

"Then why'd you ask me to marry you?" Yukiko inquired, an eyebrow raised.

"I…" Toshiro paused, and found himself at a loss for words, "I'm… I'm not sure, honestly… I just know I want—"

"Just drink, okay? We'll take a cab back home… Don't make me forget my 'violin'," said Yukiko as she refilled her glass.

"It was what felt right, okay?" he gave a heavy sigh, "Different people, different situations…"

"I said drop it for now, okay? Let's just enjoy our own company, for the time being. No annoying/psychotic family, no one yelling… Just total peace and quiet, for once…"

"Gods knows how long this'll last before someone starts shooting at us or something flies through the window…" Toshiro muttered, "Speaking of which, there's someone who's looking at us a little strangely…"

"Hm? Where is he?" inquired Yukiko, looking about suspiciously.

"Her, you mean…" replied Toshiro as both watched a young floozy approach their table.

"Hey, how are you boys tonight?" she inquired, leaning her arms upon the table and smiling at both. Toshiro looked over at Yukiko, who wore a look of terror and who said nothing. Her only giveaway expression was a twitching out of the corner of her mouth.

"Ur… We're married…. This, this is my wife…" Toshiro coughed, laying a hand upon Yukiko's. The floozy gasped, apologized, and quickly exited.

"That was…Strange…" Yukiko muttered, "Do I look that much like a boy to you, huh?"

"Well… Um… You do wear and suit, and…" Toshiro looked off ward, in a different direction.

"What, I—"

"It's okay, Yuki…She's an idiot… You don't have to prove you're a girl to anyone," Toshiro shrugged.

"I, um… I guess you're right…" she nodded, and by this time noticed his hand still upon his. She moved her hand away from his, and cleared her throat, "Uh, thanks for the pep talk, Dr. Phil… Now let's finish of this bottle of white, and move on to the bottle of red!"

"Or perhaps a bottle of rosé, instead?" Toshiro chuckled.

"You really are a New Yorker, eh?" Yukiko laughed.

A Brazil Airport:

"Eh?" Max raised his head as he felt the plane land, and looked to his left, where Leo was leaning on his shoulder. He yawned, and lifted up the curtain to the window, and then let out a choked gasp which sounded a great deal like a cat being run over, "LeBlanc! Leo, wake up!" he ordered, shaking his partner wildly.

"Huh, what?" Leo inquired sleepily, "Mommy, five more minutes and I'll help Daddy bury the body…"

Max recoiled in horror, and looked out the window once more. Tropical trees, parrots flying—A giant statue of Jesus, still under repair from its capture nearly twenty-five years ago, when Lupin the third had stolen it-—this was definitely not Chicago.

Later:

"Well, at least our luggage made it here… We can be grateful for that much…" said Leo as he pulled off his and Max's suitcases from the rotating device.

"Grateful!? We land in a whole different continent, in the middle of nowhere, and you expect me to be grateful!?" he snapped, pulling off a suitcase from the rotating luggage pickup and walking towards a cab with Leo.

"Hey, I picked up your suitcase, already," said Leo, lifting up Max's black suitcase to show him. Max blinked a few times, and then looked downward at the suitcase, and back at Leo.

"Ah, Mr. Thomas… Wonderful you could show…" said a dark-haired stranger as he walked up to Leo and smiled, "I see you have my payment…"

"What?" Leo choked.

"I'll be taking that…" said the stranger, taking Max's black suitcase, "And here's my part of the bargain…" he said handing him an extremely heavy suitcase, "Be sure not to open it until you get home, of course… Wonderful doing business with you…" And without another word from either party, the stranger walked away, leaving Max with the suitcase.

"Um… What the hell just happened?" Leo inquired.

"I… I don't know," Max replied, shaking his head. He trudged the suitcase into the cab, and the two took off, failing to notice another man in the same part of the airport, searching wildly for a black suitcase.

"Well, we have yours, that's for sure… It has your name written in a Sharpee on the bottom," said Leo with a smile as they stepped into the cab.

"With our luck we just inherited 100 pounds of coke, and we'll get pulled over with it…" Max muttered darkly, "I wonder who that guy was…"

"Well, we'll find out what's in that suitcase when we get to the hotel, okay?" Leo smiled, patting Max on the shoulder, "At least we didn't get arrested this time…"

"Knock on wood…" Max grumbled, "Cabbie, step on it…"

They arrived at the hotel late in the evening, and Leo got the job of carrying the heavy bag upstairs. He stopped dead as he heard a sneeze, looked about, shrugged as he heard no other sounds, and walked it up to their hotel room. He tossed it upon the bed, and went to opening it as Max laid out their clothes in the closet.

Leo yet out a yell of horror, and Max turned about in time to see a young girl clinging onto him, "Daddy! I knew you'd come back for me! Daddy, I missed you so much!"

"What the…." Max stood with his jaw opened, "Did she… Come out of that suitcase…"

"Hey, let go!" Leo choked, and panted as she let go of her grip.

"Daddy, you can take off the mask, now!" she laughed, laying back in the suitcase, "Is this your friend?" The two then watched in horror as her eyes grew heavy, and she passed out in the suitcase.

"Max, get her a glass of water! She's burning up! Hurry!" Leo said worriedly as he pulled her out of the suitcase and onto his lap. He went to undoing a few of the top buttons of her blouse, and put the glass of water to her lips as she lay there, "She's really, really hot…"

"I'll get her some ice," said Max, running back into the kitchen and quickly making an ice pack.

When she came to, the little girl saw Max and Leo staring down at her worriedly, and she blinked a few times, her vision still blurred, "Eh… Daddy?"

"Kid, I hate to break it to you, but I'm not your daddy…" said Leo.

"What!? But, but he said… Oh, no!" she sat up, and wept.

"Max, you take care of her… I've got to get her something to eat… She must be starved…"

"What!? Why me?!" Max snapped in protest as Leo passed him the small child, who still wept.

"Because… Kids like you," Leo responded as he opened the door to the hotel room and walked over, leaving Max with the small child.

"Okay, okay kid… Just, stop crying, okay?" Max said nervously, "Er, here…. Play with these, all right?" he said, removing his handcuffs from his pocket and passing them to her. She stopped crying, and stared at the shiny bracelets intently.

When Leo returned with food, he found Max playing with the little girl; she was the robber, he was the cop, appropriately enough.

"Bang, I got you!" she laughed.

"Bang, you got me…" Max chuckled, "Oh thank the God of my duel religions… You're back…"

"Yeah… I managed to find a lot of stuff at the store downstairs," Leo explained, "Have you found out anything about her? Like why she was in a suitcase?"

"That's simple," she said as she began to roughage through Leo's groceries, "A bad man took me, and said if my daddy get him something, he'd never see me again… The bad man threatened to do bad things to me…"

"What'd he want your daddy to steal?" Leo inquired, leaning downward intently.

"Um… One of those party things… Um, those things that a mummy wears…"

"A bra?" Max inquired.

"No, she means like an Egyptian mummy… She's talking about a mask!" sighed Leo, "How'd you come up with….?"

"My mind's been weird all day, don't ask…" Max muttered, "But come to think of it, an Egyptian mask went missing a little while ago… Do you think her dad stole it?"

"Probably," Leo nodded, "What's your name, little girl?"

"Daddy said not to tell strangers," she said with a smile, "You tell me, first…"

"Well, I'm Leo LeBlanc…" said Leo.

"And I'm Max Zenigata. We're police officers," said Max, flashing his badge.

"A police officer?" she gasped, "You'll take my daddy away!" she said, and then ran for the door. Max picked her up, and he let out a howl of pain moments later.

"She bit me!" he moaned.

"Hey, listen, I promise, we won't take your daddy away!" said Leo, taking the girl as she struggled to fight out of Max's grasp.

"She broke the skin…" Max added as he went to nursing his wound.

"We want to take you back to your daddy, okay? I promise," said Leo.

"Pinky swear, then," said the little girl gravely.

"Okay," Leo smirked, and nodded. He and Fuji had done all sorts of things like that as children… The little girl reminded him in Fuji in many ways… She wasn't Asian, but she still had black hair and eyes, much like his sister.

"Now, will you tell me your name, and apologize to Max for biting him?" Leo asked calmly.

"All right… Sorry for biting you, Max…" she sighed, and turned back to Leo, "My name's Dakota…"

"What the hell kind of a name's that?" Max said to himself as he went to putting a Band-Aid over his wrist, where he had been bitten. Dakota shot him an evil glare, and went to go kick him in the shin, but Leo quickly stopped her, and turned her attention back to the boxes of crackers he had bought.

"At least her middle name isn't Chaim," snapped Leo.

"How'd you know that?"

"Cecilia," Leo smirked.

"Well, I guess it's true that you can get whatever you want when you do your boss…" Max said as he finished tending to his wound.

"Hey, we also have two weeks vacation with pay coming up," said Leo with a smile.

"What exactly did you and that lady do!?" Max wondered aloud.

"I'm sort of glad I can't remember…." Leo admitted as he looked back at Dakota, who was eating heartily.

Chicago:

"Leave!? We can't leave!" snapped Ally, "I've been planning this out forever, Fuji… I haven't seen her in months, and now all of a sudden you want me to leave!?"

"Well, I'm sorry, Ally, but no one really saw this coming… A guy who looks just like my dad, and even steals like him!? It's too fantastic _not_ to look into!" said Fuji with a weak smile, hoping Ally would understand her reasoning for her decisions.

"What if it's a mask?" Ryo inquired from her place on the couch in the living room, where the group, sans Yukiko and Toshiro, had gathered.

"Well, that's one of the possibilities," Fuji shrugged, "We have to find out for sure, though…"

"How about I go, instead?" Sachiko suggested.

"Oh, yes, trade one crazy for another," Heiji snapped, "Sounds great… Remind me to pack along my bulletproof vest…"

"Heiji…." Fuji moaned, putting a hand over her face.

"She almost killed me, okay!? I won't forgive her that easily…" snapped Heiji, "Call me difficult, but I have things about working with people who've tried to kill me!"

"Well, we always worked well together," said Odori with a sly smirk.

"I know you just do it out of love, though! This bitch is just friggin' loco!" Heiji said, pointing to Sachiko.

"Heiji!" Ryo yelled in defense.

"Fine, fine… Take her… But don't expect any help from me…" said Heiji, rising from the couch and storming out of the house, just as Toshiro and Yukiko walked in, somewhat drunkenly.

"Great… They're both smashed…" Fuji mumbled, "And Heiji's being a bitch, and Ally doesn't want to go, and Carmen's here, and I don't know where Blondie and LeBlanc are, and Sachiko wants to go… Perfect…"

Ming and Jigen, meanwhile, were in the kitchen, peeking through the door and listening in on the group, "Were we really this bad…?" Jigen wondered aloud.

"Worse… At least they aren't beating the hell out of one another, yet… Oh, wait, there we go…." she sighed, and turned back to her oven, "They're all just like us and it's scary to think that… But it's true…"

"Jeeze… I can't believe we acted like such bratty kids…"

"What are you talking about? You still do…"

"Shuddup…."

"Yeah, yeah… My mini muffins are burning, anyway," Ming muttered, stepping over to the oven and opening it, "Hey, did you ever realize that your first name is two letters away from being Daisy Duke? I just realized that while I was watching _Dukes of Hazard _reruns…"

"You ever realize that your first name sounds an awful lot like 'Lyin''?" Jigen retorted with a smile, "Li Yan…."

"Daisuke…" she shot him a glare, "Do up these dishes… I shouldn't be on my feet in my condition…"

"I… Maybe I could offer one of the kids five bucks to do them for me…" Jigen wondered aloud as he looked down at the numerous dishes.

"They aren't eight anymore, and I'm going to go lie down…" Ming sighed.

"Hey, that's like a million yen! And even more pesos!" snapped Jigen.

"Don't forget to wipe off all of the food before you put them in the dishwasher…" Ming called as she walked upstairs and vanished into their bedroom.

"Crap…" he mumbled as he lifted out a pasta-filled dish from the sink. He looked down at Martha III, and set it on the floor. He smiled as she dug into the meal ravenously, and patted her on her head, "You know, your grandma was one hell of a dog…. Same with your mom… Never a finer line of bitches… And trust me, I've known a lot…"

Martha looked upward at him, her tail still wagging wildly, and she then went back to her meal, "Good dog… Good, good dog…" said Jigen quietly as he went back to the dishes. He smiled widely underneath his fedora as he watched Yukiko and Toshiro stumble through the kitchen and out onto the porch, "God, if you're there… Please…" he whispered as he watched Toshiro close the glass door behind himself and Yukiko and then draw a set of wooden blinds to a close. Jigen quickly ran up the stairs, nearly knocking Ming over in his wake.

"What are you doing, now?" Ming inquired, somewhat agitated.

"Take a look at what's going on outside…" Jigen ordered, opening the blinds to their window.

"It's… Wow… Yuki and Toshiro… What are they up to?" Ming wondered aloud.

"Hopefully they're finally getting somewhere… If I can get that little firecracker married off, I can die a little happier knowing that she won't go out doing half of the idiot things she's done in the past!"

"Oh, like following in your footsteps? Yep, that is pretty idiotic…" Ming admitted as she looked downward.

"Then maybe I can start to talk to Ryo, more… I mean, I know she likes Ari, but that guy's just _waiting _to jump out of the closet! Maybe we could hook her up with a nice Italian boy," Jigen said thoughtfully as he seated himself in a nearby chair, "Gimme a play by play… It's too dark out for me to see…"

"Gotcha, captain," said Ming with a salute as she seated herself at the window and looked downward.

In the back yard, Yukiko and Toshiro were both seated on the deck of the backyard… It was night time out, and the sky was nearly cloudless.

"I think we should've brought a bottle of red wine home… That stuff was great!" said Toshiro as he leaned back in one of the plastic seats. The green chairs made creaky noises as he and Yukiko rocked back and forth, enjoying one another's far from sober company.

"Hey, if they hadn't called a cab for us, I would have!" Yukiko admitted with a laugh, "We'll have to go there again, sometime! The people there know me… The right kind of people, you know….? Not some of those creeps you see out there… The right kind of people…."

"How'd you like to live here again?" Toshiro asked.

"Eh? Where're you going with this?"

"What? Your dad loves me, I like it here…. We could just live here for a little while…"

"What the hell about Fuji? And wouldn't you like to go back to Japan for a little while?" asked Yukiko.

"You want to know something funny? Oh, you're going to love this!" Toshiro laughed, "I forgot how to write Japanese! Ha ha! Go figure, it's the first language I learn, and I can't remember how to write even my own name! My dad would freakin' _filet_ me if he knew how Western I've become! I'll bet I was the first in my family to own a T-shirt! Ha ha ha!"

"Um… Okay…" Yukiko raised an eyebrow, "How could you… I mean, you didn't speak a word of English when I met you, save for Elvis songs! How could you forget to write your own first language?"

"I never had to! I didn't realize it until Julie wanted me to write the baby's name on her crib… I got my ink and brush, and then I froze! I couldn't remember how to write out something as simple as Amanda! Do you have any idea how close that is to my mother's name, ha ha!? It's a two-character difference!"

"Anyone ever tell you you're an emotional drunk?"

"Yep… You," he nodded, "I must've really done it tonight…."

"Jeeze… I knew bringing out the Bourbon would've done him in… He's like a fish to water with that stuff… I'll bet he's drunk enough to eat poultry and not care that it's a bird…." Yukiko said to herself, "Why don't we go inside?" she suggested.

"Good… Good idea… I'd hate to throw up on your dad's deck, and that's what I feel like doing, right now…" Toshiro admitted as he rose, wobbly, from the table, and allowed Yukiko to support him as they walked. The shorter girl had trouble keeping balance with Toshiro, who was over a foot taller than her, and she let out a yell as both lost their footing and crashed into the pool.

"Oh, wow…" Ming moaned, slapping a hand over her face and sighing.

"What? What's going on!?" Jigen wondered aloud, turning back to the window, "What's in the pool? I hear something splashing…"

"That'd be your daughter and Toshiro…" Ming sighed.

"Damn it! My friggin' gun's jammed!" Yukiko grumbled as she perched herself up on ledge of the pool and removed her gun from behind her belt, "I'll have to get Ally to clean this for me, later…"

"Sorry…" Toshiro said slurridly as he perched himself next to Yukiko.

Yukiko sighed, "You big idiot…." She mumbled as she reached over and wrung his hair out, "You could catch an pneumonia like that, you know… Hm?" she blinked a few times in confusion… Why was he looking at her like that…? And she was doing nothing to help the problem by staring, she realized. She cleared her throat, and rose from the ledge, "I'm going to go wash up… I suggest you do, too… Chlorine isn't exactly good to let settle on your skin, and it isn't good to have on white clothes, either…"

"Yeah," Toshiro nodded, and watched as she exited, "I should've talked to her more… But she would've just told me I was blabbering on like some sort of drunk…." He sighed mournfully, and followed Yukiko in. When he got inside, he found he couldn't find his shampoo, so he went to borrow a bottle from Ming, but found she was not there. Knowing that she wouldn't mind, he took a bottle from the bathroom, shuddering at numerous orange bottles he knew to be Jigen's medication as he passed by. He showered, and couldn't help but notice Ryo's strange expression as he exited the bathroom. He shrugged, and soon fell asleep on a mat in Yukiko's room, where she had agreed to allow him to stay, saying it would be just like when they were kids.

Meanwhile, Ally had gone to showing Carmen a more detailed tour of his room, which consisted mainly of hockey paraphernalia and weaponry, "Is… Is it hard to fire these…?" she asked as she looked at her reflection in one of the guns.

"Well, you could break your shoulder if you fired one wrong," Ally admitted, "But with the right training, even a kid could use one! You should've seen my sister, growing up! She was a champ when she was in her teens! Same with me and martial arts competitions and Ryo with her race car driving…"

"Ryoko drives race cars?"

"Loves 'um! Each bracelet she wears is a race she's won… Inside of each, there's an inscription of the place and day. Ari gave her her first one, as a gift for her win… She's collected them, ever since…"

"My goodness… Well…" Carmen smirked bittersweetly, "All of the girls… They… They're all so accomplished… Odori's good with swords, Fujiko with thievery, Ryoko with racing, and Yukiko with marksmanship… It's…It's a little hard to one-up something like that…"

"Hey, I'm not asking you to one-up… If I had wanted someone like Fuji or Dori or my sisters, I would've found them. I'm happy with you, and the way you are. I grew up around loud women… You're a quiet change, and I like it…"

"I just… I look around at everyone, and they've been on all sorts of adventures… They have all sorts of skills… The only time I ventured out of the castle, I nearly got myself killed!"

"Carmen, don't worry. You have skills, too… You may not see them, now, but they're there. You just can't always see them right away—I didn't know how good I was at martial arts until I was fifteen! Ha ha…. I accidentally broke my mom's nose… Boy was she mad! And she took it out on my dad a lot, because of how much we look alike! Poor old man…."

"I'll go with you all…" said Carmen suddenly, turning back to Ally, "I know I'm not a good fighter, but perhaps I could prove myself in some other way…"

"What!? Carmen…"

"Please?" Carmen asked beggingly.

"Well, I… Okay…" Ally nodded, "Fuji ain't gonna like this, but hey, she's gone and done things that we don't like, before, so what the heck, huh? I can turn the tables on her…"

"Thank you!" she seated herself next to him on his bed, and embraced him. Ally smiled, but Carmen saw a wave of what appeared to be embarrassment wash over him as he broke from her, "What's wrong?"

"Um… Nothing, I… Just thinking, that's all…" replied Ally with a smirk, scratching the back of his head nervously.

"Thinking, about… Oh…." she cleared her throat, and placed one of his hands in her own, "I see… Well, would you like to…?"

"Listen, I don't want to push you into anything!" Ally choked, shaking his head.

Carmen leaned over, and kissed him on the cheek, "You know, their skills may be hard to come by, but those with personalities such as yours are one of a kind…"

"Um, jeeze, thanks," Ally said with a blush, "I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

"Are you going to get some rest, now?"

"Eh, yeah. Might as well if Fuji's going to chew my ass out, tomorrow…"

"Good night, Allen. Pleasant dreams…" said Carmen as she walked to the doorway.

"Don't worry, they'll pretty much be about you," Ally said with a small laugh. Carmen, in turn, gave a warm smile, and then left for her room, "Hm, girls like that are one in a million, too… Too bad see just can't see that."


	31. Dream On

DISCLAIMER: Um…. Me no own Lupin III…. But hopefully by the time this is posted I'll once again own an Internet hookup…

Hey!

Sorry about the rather lengthy wait, dear readers…. It appears as though someone accidentally uninstalled their Internet hookup, and was unable to locate the disk to restore it… (coughs uneasily). Anyway, please enjoy these next belated chapters, and, as always, comments appreciated! (Oh, by the way, I may have a scanner hooked up soon, so I'll try to put artwork to go along with the story on the Internet—But where, I have no idea. I'll keep everyone posted. Oh, and the Fan Fact of Boredom is exactly what it says—After a year and a half, you end up with a huge file of in-jokes, and I thought I'd just share some, hee hee…).

Fan Fact of Boredom: Dakota's name comes from the Dakota hotel, where ex-Beatle John Lennon resided until his death (literally—He died in front of the building).

Chapter Thirty One

The Next Day: Dream On

__

'I know that she's no peasant,

only ever has to give love forever and

forever,'

—The Beatles, _'She's a Woman'_

Brazil:

"The kid asleep, finally?" Max wondered aloud as he looked downward at the little girl passed out over Leo's chest. Leo was in the process of translating a military document on a computer, and worked silently while the little girl slept on silently. His jacket was tossed aside, his tie hung loose around his neck, and his glasses looked as though they were about to slip off of his face at any moment.

"Yeah, finally!" Leo mumbled, "A bomb dropping couldn't wake up this girl, I swear! Heh, this happened with Lupin, you know… He got dumped with a little girl, too… Over twenty years ago…"

"Really? Huh… What happened?" inquired Max.

"Well, Yukiko's still there…" Leo replied as he opened another file upon his laptop and scanned through his documents, "It looks like she's taken a liking to me…"

"She did call you 'Daddy'," Max chuckled as he kneeled downward next to Leo's bed, "What are you working on?"

"Side project," Leo replied.

"You're a workaholic, eh?" Max chuckled, "You could always set that aside for a little bit, and just take a breather…"

"This, from a Zenigata… It'd be even better if you could learn to follow your own advice, Max, it really would. You stress out about too much, Zenigata…"

"Yeah, what else do I have room for, anymore?" Max sighed, "Our lives are owned by our work, LeBlanc! It's sad to think you're all I have in the world…"

"… What's that mean…?"

"I—Don't look too much into it, okay?"

"What, tell me…" Leo ordered, "Hey, I have a question… I don't want you to freak out, or anything, but I want a straight-up, honest answer…"

"Hn, what is it?" Max inquired with confusion.

"Er… Let's go talk about this on the patio… I don't want her to hear us talking about this…" Leo said with a small smile as he looked downward at the still-sleeping Dakota. He gently lifted the little girl onto the bed, and led Max out to the balcony. He opened the glass door for Zenigata, and then shut it behind him, "Okay, I wanted to ask you something, and I want you to answer me honestly…"

"Sure, sure, what the hell is it?" Max asked with a slight tone of annoyance in his voice, tapping his foot upon the concrete balcony as he spoke.

"I wanted to know…" Leo took a step closer towards him, and removed his reading glasses, and hung them for his shirt collar. He then leaned forward, and removed Max's glasses, making Zenigata jump back in surprise.

"Um, wha-what are you doing?" asked Zenigata with a confused choke, darting his eyes all the while, looking for an escape route.

"That's a really good look for you, you know that? You should look into contacts… Those glasses hide so much of your face!" Leo chuckled, bringing a hand to Zenigata and moving some of his hair from in front of his eyes.

"LeBlanc, what in the world are you smoking!?"

"Stop worrying, Zenigata!" Leo laughed, taking his friend by the hand, "I'm not going to do anything that you haven't wanted before!"

"Hey, what's that supposed to—" Max stopped as Leo pushed him forward, towards him, and brought his face to Max's.

"Gagh!" Max sprang up from his bed, and looked over to his left, where Leo was sitting cross-legged, his arms folded against his chest and his head slumped over. He was still wearing his reading glasses, and his laptop sat in front of him, the white screen staring back. Dakota lied next to Leo, and slept soundly as well.

"Another dream…. Another terrifyingly scarily creepily real dream…" said Max with a sigh of relief, "Maybe this job is getting to me… I ought to look into a vacation… Yeah, like Aruba… Aruba would be nice… I need to hit the mini bar, and drink that scary little thought away, once and for all… Oh…. I'm turning into a Jigen!" he added with a shudder. Max rose from his bed, walked over to the complimentary bar, and pulled out a small liquor bottle. He also took with him a jar of the complimentary cocktail peanuts, and sat back down in his bed.

"And I thought Dad was screwed up for hallucinating and singing Bette Midler! At least he never ended up doing anything like that in his dreams… I strongly hope…" Max muttered to himself as he looked over at Leo, "Who am I going to tell this one to? I can't say anything to Mom or Dad, because they'd kill me…. And Leo's certainly out of the question…. But I _do_ have an older sister…." Max allowed for a weak, tired smile as he reached over and lifted the telephone from the table and set it on his lap. He shuddered at how he would explain this to Amaya as he began to dial the number.

Chicago:

Yukiko bolted straight up in bed and immediately drew her gun out, pointing it to the source of loud and long scream, definitely male in origin. She rose, and slowly walked towards her bathroom, where the door had been shut and, as she found out soon, locked.

"Hey, come out of there, or I'm shooting through the door!" she called.

"Dammit, don't do that! It's just me!" Toshiro snapped.

"What the hell happened?!" Yukiko inquired with an angry snapped, "Do you know how bad you freaked me out!? Come on out of there!"

"No, I'd rather not…" Toshiro answered.

"What in the world are you doing in there?" she asked as she heard the ruffling of packages on her shelves and in her cabinets.

"Nothing!" Toshiro replied.

"I'm opening the damn door, so put a towel on, at least!" she called, bending over the doorknob to examine it.

"If you open that door, I'll never forgive you for it!" Toshiro yelled.

"And if you don't let me open it, I'll key your damn Vespa and I'll also tell Ally that you took advantage of me!" Yukiko yelled in return. There was a period of silence behind the other end of the door, which Yukiko concluded to be an agreement, and she stood back as the door opened itself, "What… What in the hell…" she gasped. Her gasp was soon followed by a full stream of laughter, which caused Yukiko to bend over and eventually kneel down on the door.

"What happened to your hair!?" shed laughed wildly, "Ha ha! Oh my God, are you trying out for _Annie_!?"

"Shut up!" Toshiro growled, catching himself in the mirror as he did so. He was not sure how it happened, but somehow, over the course of the night, his raven-colored hair had become a shade of bright red, "Just, shut…. Up…."

"Ha, ha, haaHA! I, I can't!" Yukiko panted, "Oh… Oh my God…. Ha ha! What in the hell did you _do_ last night!?"

"Nothing! I just took a shower!" Toshiro replied.

"Hey, Kids, I heard yelling!" said Jigen as he opened Yukiko's bedroom door. He blinked a few times as he studied Toshiro, and then let out a heavy sigh, "Son of a bitch…. I'm going color blind, now! Ming, call my doctor!" he called downstairs to his wife, "I'm going in for a Monday checkup!"

"Why!?" Ming inquired with an equally loud yell.

"Because the color black's starting to look like red!" Jigen replied, "Come here, and tell me if I'm just crazy!"

"I don't need to walk a flight of stairs to tell you you're crazy!"

"Get your ass up here, now…"

"Magic word…"

Jigen let out a grumble and sighed, "Please…?"

"Coming!" said Ming in a sing-song voice. She trotted up the stairs, and peered into Yukiko's room, and soon went into a fit of laughter identical to her stepdaughter's, "Toshiro, what did you—"

"I don't know!" he snapped in return, "Could you please both just quiet…. I'll pay you both, at this point!"

"Hey, Mom, where are the—Woah! What happened to you!? Trying out for Annie… You're a little tall for the role…." Ally whooped, "Oh, boy, this is great! Ha ha…. Finally getting what you deserve, if you ask me!"

"I'm going to go wash this out!" Toshiro snapped.

"Oh, no, I wouldn't do that… Well, you can't, actually," said Ming with a flippant laugh.

"_What!?_"

"You probably took some of my hair dye last night…. That stuff's permanent, and if you try to put black on it, you'll probably end up as a blond…" Ming explained, "That stuff drives Jigen crazy, hee hee… The man has a serious thing for redheads…"

"Okay, I'm officially mortified…" Ally admitted, "Thank God at least—"

"Good morning, Allen," Ally heard, and spun about to see Carmen in his wake, dressed in a pink bathrobe and wearing a smile.

"Oh, you… Did… Hear that….Um…. How'dya sleep!?" Ally asked sheepishly, scratching the back of his head nervously.

"Fine, thank you… I was hoping maybe we could go out for breakfast, I'll treat you if you pick out the spot…" said Carmen.

"Hey, how're you two lovebirds doin', huh!?" Ally cringed as he felt Fuji slip an arm over both his and Carmen's shoulder, "Sleep well? I hope not!" she added with a wink, "So, Miss Cagliostro, you think you'll stick around with our little Ally, hm? What girl couldn't love that smile, and that personality! Well, me, for one, because it gives me the willies, but that seems to be your cup of tea!"

"Fuji, come here…" Ally gripped her by the back of the neck, and stomped over to an emptied part of the hall, where the two could talk in private, "Listen, could you do me a huge favor for five minutes and quit talking!?"

"So, you two still haven't you-know-what yet, eh? I know that look…"

"_What_?"

"Same one Ari had… Ryo-san was quick to change that, however…." Fuji chuckled.

"Listen, she isn't that sort of girl! We're taking it slow…" Ally responded with gritted teeth, "That's how she wants it, and I have no problem with keeping like that until she's ready because she isn't exactly as easy as other girls I know…"

"Like me, you mean?"

"Bingo. Now, quiet, okay?" Ally said with an eerie smile that made Fuji shudder before she returned to the group, who had assembled and now together chuckled at Toshiro's predicament.

"Hey, Carmen—Why don't we head out now? You get dressed, and I'll take you to the best place I know!" Ally said, wrapping an arm about her waist as he walked back towards her and kissing her once.

Brazil:

"And that's about the time I wake up…" Max sighed as he stared out at the moonlit view of the city, "…Amaya, you there?"

"Yes, I am, Max…" Amaya replied, "This is just…. A very odd, strange dream…. Dad would—"

"Have a fit, I know… And probably wonder if he had played baseball with me enough as a kid or not…" Max muttered, "I just don't know what the hell to do anymore… This is the fifth time that this has happened, and it gets harder to look at him in the morning each time I wake up…"

"I can see why… Well, it's not the only time this has happened… Lupin used to flirt with me, sometimes, and that was a little hard for me to take at first… You know, I couldn't help think that—"

"You wanted to cheat on Goemon!?" Max gasped.

"No, no! Good gods, no…. It's just that with him back those innuendo to me, things would run through my mind… I learned not to pay too much attention to them, though. My husband's the only one for me, thank you. Honestly I wonder how Fujiko's kept her sanity…."

"She hasn't, she's just kept Lupin on a short leash…" Max chuckled wryly.

Amaya let in a stiff breath of air, "You're not the first one to feel awkward about something like that, you know…. Your mom…."

"What about my mom?" Max inquired.

"Well…" Amaya sighed, "You can't tell Dad this, swear, okay? It would really send him over the edge."

"Yeah, yeah…" Max replied hurriedly, "What's up, Amaya? Why would I care about my mom and what she's done?"

"I found out from Fujiko that briefly before Natasha got together with Dad…. She tried to get in between Lupin and Fujiko, by having an affair with him…"

"What…? My, my mom…. She…."

"Yeah," Amaya replied, "Only once, though…"

"Well, that doesn't make everything seem so bad now, does it?" Max laughed wryly, "Amaya, what if I really…? I, I mean, I don't, but if maybe those dreams are telling me something…. Then what in the hell am I going to do? Something like that won't exactly go over well at Interpol…"

"Go over well? Aren't they French? They should be understanding," Amaya replied.

Max laughed, "Thanks for_ your_ understanding… I'm probably just exaggerating everything, but, well, they're still really disturbing dreams…."

"I understand. The kids are calling me now, Max…. Apparently their father has forgotten his medication and is scaring them with his cheery mood… He wants to go to Disney, Tokyo, and I have to beat him to the attic so he doesn't break into the suitcases…. I'd be unpacking everything all night… Again… I'll have to go check it out. Bye for now, and send my love to everyone!" said Amaya.

"If I wasn't too busy trying to take them in, I would…" replied Max, "Amaya, don't you hate me in the tiniest bit for chasing after your kids?"

"Not really. Someone had to do it—Plus, you're the one who finally made Dad proud…. And, well, not to sound pessimistic, but I think they're all going to give you one hell of a run before they go off to any prison…"

"I know. Sometimes I wonder why I bother…" Max sighed, "Well, talk to you later, Amaya…"

"Bye, Max. Sleep well!" Amaya responded happily, hanging up the phone soon afterwards. Max sighed, set the phone at his side, and continued to enjoy the view outdoors while Leo and Dakota slept inside.

The Jigen Residence:

"Heiji-chan, you're back. Where were you!?" Fuji asked as Heiji straggled in.

"Out for a while," Heiji replied with a yawn, "I'm a little tired, honestly, so I'll catch you later, Fuji…"

Fuji gaped a little in surprise at this statement, "Wait, I—"

"Talk to you later, Fuji…." Heiji walked down the hall, and peered into Yukiko's room a moment, where Toshiro was seated on the floor, cross-legged, "What the hell happened to your head?"

"The same thing that's going to happen to yours, in five seconds," Toshiro snapped, standing and closing Yukiko's door. He turned back to her, and glared at her smile, "I know, it's funny—Ha ha…. Blue gi, red hair, yellow bike—I'm the primary colors…. Ha ha, if I bleach it, I'll look even more like a _Foolie Coolie_ character with pink hair and a Vespa… I've heard them all, today, so I wouldn't bother with a new one…"

"I like the color," Yukiko answered.

"Eh?" he blinked a few times in surprise, and seated himself in a chair across from her bed, "You're serious?"

"Yeah… Well, hey, I'm just like my dad, right?" she laughed, "And Mom isn't lying about Dad liking redheads!"

"Um, thanks, Yukiko… That means a lot. Really…"

"Hey, no problem! What are friends for, anyway!? I have to make fun of you! I do that to all people I like, you know that…"

"You must freakin' love me, then…."

"Only as a friend, Buddy," Yukiko reassured him with a wink.

Toshiro rolled his eyes and sighed. No, he was too tired for this argument again. He glanced out the window, and saw Ally leading Carmen out to the car, so that the two could go out to eat. He watched as Ally opened the car door for her, kissed her, and then allowed her to seat herself, closing the door for her and walking around to the driver's side. He had had a similar life at one time, he recalled. He had been very much in love with Julie, which made it strange when he felt the same feelings for Yukiko when he met up with her once again.

"Hey, you're zoning out on me again, Toshiro…. Toshiro… Toshi… You there? Hel-lo…." she called, waving a hand over his face. Toshiro started to attention, and faced forward at Yukiko, a surprised look upon his face, "Where'd you go, man!?"

"Just off…." Toshiro replied, "Sorry… I was just looking out at Ally…"

"Oh, Casanova out there? He'd make his uncle Lupin proud…" Yukiko mumbled.

"Uh-huh. They sure both look happy…" he muttered, "I miss that a lot…"

"Well, at least you have friends to be depressed with," said Yukiko with a well-meaning smile which fell when she continued to look upon Toshiro's fallen expression.

In Heiji's guest room:

"Heiji, where were you? Why are you only getting home now?" Odori inquired as she opened Heiji's door and saw him typing away upon a computer.

"It doesn't matter, Dori…. I'm okay, really…" replied Heiji.

"But—"

"I'm fine…" he sighed, "Just… Just leave me alone for now, all right?"

"Hey, what are you doing on here? Talking with friends?" she asked with a small smile as she looked over his shoulder at his laptop. Heiji gave a small start, and looked back at the screen.

"Wha…" Odori quickly scanned over the instant message screen, and laughed, "You have a girlfriend!?" she inquired.

"She's just a computer nerd in need of some backup… She's a hacker, like me…" Heiji replied, folding his arms.

"What's her name?" asked Odori, poking him with the butt of Zantetsu, "Tell me or I'll put you in a headlock until you turn a light shade of blue…. And you know I'll do it…"

"It doesn't matter," said Heiji with gritted teeth, "She's just helping me track down the guy Fuji's looking for…"

"You're lying… You just told me you were serving as backup…"

"Could you please just go back to not talking!?" Heiji snapped.

"Heh heh…. All right, Heiji… I'll see you downstairs…" she said with an amused smirk.

Heiji rolled his eyes, and turned back around to the computer, and began to type to his mystery friend once again.

DiwaliInd: What's wrong? Heij, u there?

Hhacker2121: Yea… Srry…

DiwaliInd: What happened?

Hhacker2121: My sister…. Dori's gone now, so don't worry…

DiwaliInd: I'd love to meet her and Toshiro, too. And you have other siblings, right?

Hhacker2121: Yea, my parents made a hobby out of collecting children…. --'

DiwaliInd: LOL! I guess I'm lucky--all I have is a sister! I still want to meet her, and Toshiro! Plse?

Hhacker2121: (sighs) Maybe later… I'm just afraid she'll freak… Her and Dad r the 1's I worry about….

DiwaliInd: Y? B/c I'm older, right? And not Japanese….

Hhacker2121: That and the fact your dad tried to kill my dad at one point…

DiwaliInd: I know : ( Go figure…. Can't blame you, I haven't told my father, either. I'm afraid of what he'll think…. This is definitely out of custom for my family…

"Heiji, come on!" Fuji called, "We've got to go survey the airport!"

Heiji sighed, and shook his head, "She'd kill herself if she went to live on her own…."

Hhacker2121: Gtg, see ya later!

DiwaliInd: Oh…. Well, bye for now! (hope to visit you again, soon!)

"Fuji's going to kill me when she finds out about Veronica…." Heiji said with a shake of the head as he logged off and walked out of his room and into the living room, where Ryo and Fuji already were standing.

"Were you talking to someone, Heiji? We didn't mean to disturb you…" said Ryo as she glanced in a mirror across the room and slicked her wavy hair back, only to have it spring back into its original form.

"No, it's okay…. My friend's understanding…." Heiji replied, "What is it you guys need? Spyware, hardware, software.…?"

"Any-ware…." Replied Fuji with a chuckle, "Whatever we'll need to help us track down this guy… They've been Interpol reports of a Lupin look-alike in Brazil…. He booked a flight to Chicago…."

"You sure it couldn't have been your brother?"

"Nah…" Fuji shook her head, "What in the world would Ari be doing in Brazil!?"

"With him, you never know…" Heiji muttered.

"Eh?"

"Nothing… I'll pack up some equipment and meet you guys out in the Romeo," Heiji said, scaling back up the stairs and muttering to himself darkly as he did so.

A Hockey Rink:

"I thought we were going to breakfast!" Carmen laughed as Ally pushed her onto the ice. She kept her footing as she skated along the rink, gliding about gracefully and smiling while she did so. Ally followed her out some after with the grace of an average hockey player, and chuckled as she briefly lost her balance but soon regained it.

"I know…. Slight change in plans…. I'll get you something in a little bit, but there's something else I wanted to talk to you about, first…" Ally replied as he skated a few circles about her backwards and stopped dead in front of her.

"Um… Like what?" she asked hopefully.

"Well, I… I… I have a big game soon…. I'm not here all of the time, but I'm good enough to skip some practices… Plus I'm a hell of an alternate…." Ally coughed uneasily.

"Oh…. Oh, of course I will…." Carmen sighed, a hint of disappointment in her voice. She had thought for sure that he was going to ask something different of her, but this was not the case.

"That's great! Well, after we get this mess sorted out, we can spend a few weeks over here, and I can show you around town! All of my favorite hangouts! Well, not all, hee hee… Shooting range ain't no place for a lady."

"I'd like if you taught me…" Carmen admitted.

"Taught you to what?" Ally gaped, "To fire a gun!? Well, I suppose I could…"

"I would just feel much safer if I knew, especially if I'll be following you all on your expedition," she admitted sheepishly, "You aren't offended, are you?"

"Nah, not in the least! Actually, I like the idea of being able to share something with you…. It's just so… Surprising!"

"Hmp… Well, Allen Jigen, you were the one who told me I was full of surprises!" she chuckled.

The Airport:

"My God… It's uncanny!" Fuji mumbled as she peered through a set of binoculars from her hideout vehicle.

"You're right, Fuji…. He looks just like Lupin… It's creepy and fishy… I don't like the looks of it at all…" admitted Ryo as she sat leaned back in the driver's side. Heiji sat in the back seat, his equipment spread out about him on either side of the seat and on the floor.

"I'll zoom in…" Heiji called from the back, clicking on a few keys, "Hey, Fuj, it's a latex mask he's wearing…. Maybe we should follow him, or at least figure out where his car is and get the plates…."

"Say no more, I'm on it! Boy, will Blondie freak out when he sees me!" Fuji crowed as she opened a suitcase and slid out of her seat onto the floor of the vehicle.

Moments later, an aged woman stepped out of the vehicle, nearly toppling over but rescuing herself with the help of her cane. She picked up a bag of groceries, and followed the Lupin-like man to a parking lot. Conveniently enough, she dropped her groceries right as he approached his vehicle. He sighed, turned about, and began to help her collect her groceries.

"Thank you, Young Man…" choked the 'old woman' gratefully.

"No problem, Ma'am… I'd love to help you more, but I have to get to my daughter…" said the man hurriedly.

"Oh? What's the dear's name?" inquired the woman.

"Dakota," he replied with a smile, "I was supposed to visit her in Brazil, but that didn't turn out… So now I'm off to visit the people who were supposed to send her to me…"

"Well, good luck… And say hello to her for me!" she smiled, and cackled in a manner eerily like her father as she watched him pull out.

"Why that sap…. Didn't he even stop to think to wonder what someone was doing in an airport parking lot with a bag full of fruit!?" Fuji laughed, "Ah, I adore bleeding hearts…. They make my job so much easier!" She tossed her cane to a side, and much to the shock out of others in the airport, she ran back to the graduate vehicle and hopped into it. Ryo slammed on the gas, and they sped off back to the Jigen household.

"The guy's name is Daniel…" said Heiji from the back seat, "He's a thief, like Lupin… One of the best…. He's arguably as good as your Dad, Fuji…."

"Then way haven't I heard of him!?" Fuji wondered aloud.

"Because you always opt for cartoons when the news is on and it's not about you…" Ryo answered in her usual deadpan tone.

"Hey, don't get me wrong, Tom Brokaw's awesome, but when he can shoot lasers out of his eyes like Starfire from _Teen Titans_, I'll sit through an entire program of his…" Fuji replied with a bubbly smile.

"The greatest thief in the world still isn't above eating cereal out of the box on a Saturday morning and watching cartoons…. Everyone's right, this society's gone down the crapper…." Ryo sighed heavily.

"Undoubtedly…. But let's get back now and analyze this information…" Heiji said as he enhanced the photo of the license plate on his laptop and frowned in concentration, "Huh… Hey, I know how to get this guy's address!"

"What?" inquired Ryo with surprise, "How?"

"It's a handicapped plate… And it's local… So they probably go to the local hospital a lot, too…."

"So, that means… What?" Fuji asked.

"Well… I have a friend who works there…." Heiji explained hesitantly.

"What's his name, Heiji?" Ryo inquired.

"Eh…. Veronica…." Heiji said with an uncomfortable cough.

"What!? You have a girlfriend and you didn't TELL ME!? What's she like!?" Fuji asked excitedly, looking over her seat at Heiji. Ryo, angered by Fuji's annoying badgering, sped up upon contact with a speed bump, and therefore sending Fuji flying into the back seat.

"Hey, watch it! I could've cracked my skull!" Fuji moaned to Ryo with pain.

"Heh… Well, at least you wouldn't have damaged anything…" Ryo muttered.

"I heard that!"

"Good…. Now, Heiji, which hospital does she work at?"

"The same one where your dad gets his eyes looked at…" Heiji added, "She's actually one of his nurses…."

"I can't wait to meet her!" said Fuji with a smile, "She must be some looker if she's cuter than me!"

"Does the mirror crack under the weight of your vanity when you look into it, Fuji?" Ryo asked jokingly.

"If I had a clue what 'vanity' met, I'd probably agree with you…" Fuji admitted, "Well, step on it, Ryo-san! I want to meet Heiji's girlfriend!"

"She isn't my girlfriend…" Heiji grumbled, his face flushing red.

"If Heiji likes her, I can only imagine what she's like…" Ryo said to herself as she switched lanes and sped onto the exit towards the hospital.


	32. Isn't she Lovely?

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Lupin III, and I don't own any songs from the Beatles…. But I have more Beatles' posters than healthy, I'll admit…

Howdy!

Welcome to another long-in-the-process chapter… Hoping to have artwork up very soon, can't exactly pinpoint a day (depends on how long it take me to learn the program). Until then, please enjoy the next chapter and remember that feedback is always appreciated. Oh, and have a Happy Halloween! I know tormenting Trick or Treaters shall be an entire night's entertainment over here! : )

Fun Fact of Boredom: There's a quote from _The Professional _in here…. Never seen it? That's okay…. I still like you… Just not as much (Joking… Please don't leave…. I'm really lonely.)

Chapter Thirty Two

A Little while Later: Isn't She Lovely?

__

'Lovely Rita meter maid,

Nothing can come between us,

When it gets dark I tow your heart away,'

—The Beatles, _'Lovely Rita'_

A Chicago Hospital:

"Optometry, please…" said Heiji to the nurse at the front desk. She nodded, and pointed to the right wing of the building, and Heiji smiled with thanks, and walked down the hall, Ryo and Fuji at his tail.

"I'm wondering if she looks anything like Velma, from _Scooby Doo_!" Fuji chuckled to herself, "Knowing him, she's all brains and no beau—"

"Can it!" Ryo whispered, nudging Fuji in the ribs, "I'm sure she's a sweet girl…"

"Veronica!" Heiji called to the desk in the optometry unit.

"Heiji, what are you doing here!?" they heard in return in a strange foreign accent. A gorgeous young Indian woman appeared from one of the back offices, glasses nearly falling from the bridge of her nose and shoulder-length hair bunched up in a claw, "Who are they?" she inquired, looking towards a stunned Fuji and smug Ryo.

"This is Fujiko Lupin II, and this is Ryoko Jigen II," replied Heiji with a smile, "The boss and the getaway driver, basically…"

"Oh, yes! I've heard a great deal about you both!" she said with a smile, shaking each of their hands.

"You know…. You sort of remind me of… But, no…. He didn't have a daughter named Veronica…" muttered Ryo with a shake of the head.

"Ravi Patel? Yes, well… I am indeed his youngest daughter… My real first name is Puja, but I think Veronica has a better ring to it…" Veronica admitted.

"Ravi!? B-But, he tried to kill Heiji's dad!" a still shell-shocked Fuji sputtered, "He practically skewered him!"

"Yes, this I know, as well… But things are different, now. Heiji and I have spoken about this, and we shall not let it get in the way of any friendship of ours," replied Veronica with a wide smile.

"Friendship? That's it?" Ryo asked with a sly smile.

"Yes, yes it is," Heiji answered quickly.

A startled look came upon Fuji's face as something seemingly clicked in her brain, and she gasped, "That's where you went off to! You guys are doing that 'with benefits' thing, aren't you!?"

Veronica smiled, "And what would the immediate problem of that be?"

Fuji gaped, "Eh… Well, I…."

"Hey, I need you to look up this guy, see if he has any files at this hospital," said Heiji, handing Veronica the file, "That's his name we wrote on top… You think you can do it?"

"Certainly… Anything for a friend…" said Veronica with a smile that made Fuji clench her jaw in order to remain quiet in front of the two. As they went to work on the computer, Fuji seated herself in a chair in the corner and glowered at the couple. They spoke, they laughed… She watched as they talked amongst themselves quietly, and noted their expressions while they did this. Ryo noted how very much like a spoiled child who wasn't getting her way Fuji looked right then, and seated herself next to the thief.

"Someone get bitten by the jealousy bug?" Ryo inquired blandly.

"No…" Fuji snapped, "Whatever would give you that idea?"

"I'm guessing you thought this girl would be homely, and you're pissed because she's gorgeous…" Ryo sighed, "It's like with your mom and dad…. He got extremely jealous whenever she went off with another guy…. Even chased her around the world in order to stop her… As you can see, he did…"

"No, Ari and I stopped her," Fuji snorted, "I wonder if Dad's ever going to come clean and admit Mom was pregnant before they got married…."

"I wouldn't count on it soon," Ryo smirked, "Your Dad hates to look bad…"

"And yet he can do it so well…."

"Agreed," said Ryo with a sigh.

A Brazilian Airport:

"Why am I pretending to be your daughter, again?" Dakota wondered aloud as she held Leo's hand while they walked over to the airport gates.

"Because… It's a long story…" Leo sighed, "Let's just say that your Uncle Max is a big idiot… Ur, he-here you go, Ma'am," Leo added with a blush as he passed his tickets to the female airline attendant.

"Have a nice day, Sir!" she said with a wave.

"Hey, LeBlanc, I got the clearance we needed!" Leo heard with a shout. He turned about, and saw Max running towards the gate, his carryon-bag and ticket in hand. He tripped in the middle of his journey, but quickly recovered, and joined an embarrassed Leo and giggling Dakota.

"Max, I don't know how you do it, sometimes," Leo sighed with a small smile as he shook his head. He sat next to Dakota, and allowed her the window seat, while Max settled on having a seat across the tiny aisle of the plane.

"Hello, little girl, is this your daddy?" asked the attendant with a smile as she approached Leo and Dakota.

"He's not my father…. He's my lover…" replied Dakota very seriously. The flight attendant flinched a smirk, and slowly backed away from the others. Leo watched as she reached for a phone, and quietly removed his knitting kit from his carryon luggage.

"Here, hold this for me…" Leo sighed, handing Dakota a green ball of thin, unused yarn, "Just hold it while I work on this…"

"What are you making?" Dakota inquired.

"A sweater…" replied Leo.

"Another one for your dad?" Max implored.

"No—This one's for you, actually," Leo replied with a wide satisfactory grin, "I hope you like it!"

Max, who detested turtlenecks, and detested the color green even more, which this sweater was, paused, "I'm sure I will… It looks… It looks very nice…"

"Are you two like my uncle?" Dakota inquired.

"Uncles, honey. It's and plural noun, not a singular. There's more than one of us…" Leo chided.

"Since when are you the grammar police?" Max muttered.

"Since I got my linguistics Doctrine!" snapped Leo.

"No, my uncle… He doesn't have a girlfriend…." she said with a shake of the head.

"Well, some of us don't, and that's a personal option," replied Leo, "Like Max and I are usually too busy to date…"

"No!" Dakota sighed with exasperation, "My uncle has a boyfriend!"

There was a long pause between the two, and Max averted his eyes from Leo as LeBlanc returned a questioning glance, "Ur, stewardess—Two vodka shots, please!" Max called.

A Shooting Range, out in an Open Field:

"Okay, shoot!" Ally called. Carmen shot, and fell back, but luckily had Ally there to catch her upon her fall.

"Maybe this wasn't such a good idea…" she said with a whisper as she removed her headphones and set them upon her lap.

"Nonsense! Hey, I broke my shoulder the first time this happened, don't worry!" Ally reassured her, helping her to stand up again, "Now, try once more… Here, I'll guide you… Now, just aim for your target and… Fire!"

Carmen shot, and barely scraped the straw target that was set in front of them. Ally smiled proudly, and took her gun from her hands, and placed it in its holster in his belt, "Good job! Great goin', today! Hey, maybe soon, you can even give Yukiko a run for her money!"

"You… You really think so?"

"I know… Now, what do you say we go watch a movie?" Ally suggested cheerily.

"Well… We, we could do that… Or something different…" Carmen said with a dry gulp.

"Oh, really? Like what?" Ally inquired airily as he opened the chamber of another magnum and emptied out the blank shells.

"Well…" Carmen approached Ally, and put a hand upon his shoulder, "We could… Well, if you want to, that is…"

"Woah! Are you suggesting we…?"

"If you don't mind! That is, if you aren't nervous, or anything…"

"I'm not, I just never figured I'd hear it coming from you, of all people…" Ally replied with a look of pure confusion, "You're sure you want to?"

Carmen inhaled deeply, and her voice shook, "I just… I just don't know that each time I see you will be the last time!" she wept.

A stunned Ally jumped as she fell into him, and sighed heavily, "Hey, don't worry…. I'll be okay… It's all right, really… Come on, Carmen…. It's starting to rain out…"

"Okay," she nodded, wiped her eyes, and followed him back to their car, "Um… Allen?"

"Yeah?"

"Isn't this weather a little unusual for the fall?"

Ally sighed, "Yeah, but unusual's the usual for us, it seems…."

The Jigen Household:

"Hey, Amaya's red-headed stepchild!" Yukiko called to Toshiro, who was in the kitchen, "Make me some popcorn, okay?"

"Yukiko, I have a riddle…"

"Really? What?"

"What do men, tables and chairs have in common, but only men can move?"

"….Um, what?"

"Legs. Now use them," Toshiro replied.

"I'm not a man…. Is it your time of the month… You could tell me, really…." Yukiko chuckled.

"It's not funny! My Dad's going to hang me if he sees me! Do you have any idea how dead I am!? And I'm stuck like this…."

"Hrm… Red, navy blue, and white… Just like Woody Woodpecker! Hey, can you do the laugh?" Yukiko gasped happily.

"I'm glad you're finding it so humorous…. And for what it's worth, you look a lot like a panda," Toshiro muttered as he ventured out with a bowl of popcorn and two drinks, "This is worse than the time Julie decided to put streaks in my hair!"

"…What?"

"She… She loved dyeing her hair, so she thought I should join in on the fun… Being a young idiot at the time, I agreed… Needless to say, I looked like a black and blue zebra for the next two days…" Toshiro grumbled, "The pictures are still somewhere… I can't find them for the life of me, though!"

"Maybe she sent them somewhere via carrier pigeon… That, or my mom has them…" Yukiko replied, "It's not the worst thing in the world, don't worry…. I still have memories of your dad chopping my ponytail off!"

"I remember fixing that hack job, too…" Toshiro sighed with a roll of the eyes. He looked over at Yukiko, who was watching the TV intently, and shut his eyes a few moments while trying to piece his thoughts. She didn't have a gun, and there was no way she would be able to knee him anywhere vital before he could dodge out of the way…. Plus, almost everyone was out, and that included Ally. He decided to go ahead with the plan of action, and waited for the right moment—A commercial.

"Do you remember the no-yes thing, and you answered with a maybe?" Toshiro started.

"Your timing's so crappy…" Yukiko chuckled.

"Well, what is it?"

"….Thank God Zenigata's related to you… That gives you a viable reason for being so persistent!" snapped Yukiko.

"Hey, guys, we're home!" they heard from the front of the house.

"Thank God…" both sighed in relief at the same time. Toshiro stood, but felt like sitting down again from shock when he laid eyes on Veronica and Heiji together, with Ryo and a still bitter Fuji bringing up the rear.

"Come on, I want to show you some new computer equipment I got!" Heiji said quietly to Veronica.

"I'm betting that's a common pickup line in your book," Veronica chuckled, but followed him up the stairs regardless.

"Wha…. What the hell just happened?" Toshiro wondered aloud, scratching his head in confusion.

"That's Heiji's friend, Veronica…. Her dad tried to murder yours…. So, any good Westerns on TV? I think I missed _Gunsmoke_," Ryo inquired.

"Hope him and his little 'screw buddy' take enough of a break to get some work done!" Fuji grumbled darkly, falling back onto the couch and sulking darkly as she watched television next to Yukiko, who was feeling increasingly uncomfortable with every passing moment.

"She's eight years older than him," Ryo continued as she flipped through the channels, "Yuki, are you going to finish that popcorn?"

"Wow…. Um…. Yukiko, could you help me out…. I really can't say anything to that…" Toshiro said quietly.

"Um…. Go Heiji?" Yukiko offered.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Heiji had gone to showing Veronica the computer equipment which littered his temporary room, while she exchanged glances between him and the computer screen.

"That's amazing… So, you have files from any police station in the world?" she gasped.

"Yep…" Heiji nodded, "Even Interpol… Pretty cool, eh? You can design the damnedest software with stuff you find on E-Bay…"

"Very cool," Veronica responded, "I have those records for Fuji finished, but perhaps we can give them to her a little later…. What do you say?"

"If you're thinking what I am, sure!" Heiji replied with a sly smile. Veronica leaned forward, and kissed him, making sure to slap the laptop down while she did so.

Meanwhile, downstairs, things had grown deathly silent, mostly due to Fuji's strange attitude. Odori immediately noticed this when she walked in after a long excursion to the local supermarket to find miso, and raised an eyebrow as she viewed everyone tensely in the living room, none speaking to one another. She said nothing as she walked up the stairs to the guest rooms, and stopped by Heiji's door, first. He had requested cheese flavored snacks which she personally found disgusting, but bought them simply for his sake.

She turned the doorknob, and slowly opened his door, and dropped the bag of groceries in surprise and horror as she opened the door fully.

Her face turned bright red, and she bowed deeply, "I'm sorry!" she yelped, slamming the door and running back down to the dead group, "T-Toshiro! There's someone with Heiji!"

"I know…." Toshiro sighed, rubbing his forehead, "What would you have me do about it, Odori?"

"Th-That's my brother! Do we know anything at all about this girl!?" Odori demanded.

"She… Likes computers?" Ryo shrugged.

"Amongst other things…" Odori mumbled, "Where do they keep the liquor here!? I wish to forget this if I cannot stop it!"

"Dori, no… You're the weirdest drunk I've ever met…. You aren't one of those funny drunks, like Fuji…. You're more of a remorseful drunk…." Toshiro sighed, "It'll be okay, Dori…. Just calm down…"

"I can't! I don't know the values or morals of this woman, and I've never even spoken with her! The girlfriend of any man must first pass a test with his family, and most importantly, the eldest sister, which I am! It is an unwritten law!" Odori barked in a samurai-like tone. Toshiro blinked a few times in surprise—For being adopted, she was almost a scary reincarnation of his father. Fujiko had once said this was due to something called an 'Electra Complex', but his listening had trailed off after this.

"Um… Maybe you should give her the booze, Toshiro…. It couldn't hurt…" Yukiko whispered.

"In the pantry, Odori," said Toshiro after a pause. Odori nodded, and stormed into the pantry.

"This day is getting weirder and weirder…. I'd go in the ask him if he had the info, but I'm afraid to…" muttered Fuji, "Wh—What the hell!? I mean, what, the hell!? This is Heiji! _Dungeons and Dragons_ playing Heiji! I haven't seen anything this strange in a long, long time…"

"Hey, guys, I got a pumpkin for Halloween!" the still silent group heard, and all looked in Jigen's direction, "What…. What'd I say?" Jigen inquired as he read the looks on their faces. He then watched as Odori stumbled out, laughing.

"That's better…. Hey… Mr. Jigen, you want some?" Odori laughed, holding the bottle up to Jigen and laughing.

"Um… You realize that that's grape juice, right?" Jigen said, clearing his throat.

The Chicago Hotel:

"Hey, I'm back with lunch!" Leo called, walking into the apartment-like hotel where Dakota had busied herself coloring while Max scanned over numerous files on the computer, "How're you both doing?"

"He's mean!" Dakota snapped.

"She started it!" Max added angrily.

"Huh… What? What's—"

"Please, it's not I would've hurt anyone!"

"I told you no, and no means no! Get it through your head, kid!"

"I hate you!"

"Well, I hated you first!" Max snapped in childish retort. Dakota stuck her tongue out in response.

"Leo, could you tell Mister Stupid that I won't hurt anyone if I look at his handcuffs?" sighed Dakota.

"Well, you can look at mine…." Leo shrugged, removing his handcuffs from his back pocket and passing them to her while Max glowered in the background. She giggled, and slapped one of Leo's wrist, surprising him briefly but amusing him moments later.

"Well, you're almost as good as Max!" Leo chuckled, unhinging his wrist and handing her back the metal restraint. Another handcuff flew, latched onto Leo's wrist with such force it sent his arm flying back behind his waist and latching onto the other arm.

"Woah…" Dakota stared wide-eyed in surprise. She turned to Max, and smiled, "Could you teach me how to do that!? Please, please, please!?"

"One second… I need to get LeBlanc out of these…" Max replied, leaning forward, only to see Leo had already wriggled out of his restraints, "…Were you like a friggin' magician before you joined Interpol!?"

"You could say that…" Leo sighed as he tossed Max back his handcuffs.

"You're just full up surprises, huh, Leo?"

"Max, you have no idea," Leo said with a shake of the head.

"Can I go Trick or Treating?" Dakota inquired, "I want to be a princess…"

"Why be what you already are every other day…?" Max muttered to himself, folding his arms. Leo shot Max a glare, and then turned back to Dakota.

"Sure thing, Sweetie… I'll go help you pick out an outfit…" Leo leaned inward, and whispered, "Don't worry about Max, he just likes to be cranky… I don't know why, really…"

"Maybe we could stop by my daddy's house!" Dakota continued.

"What!?" both shrieked.

"You mean your dad lives here!?" Max yelled.

"Um… Yeah… You guys didn't know that? I thought you two were the detectives!" Dakota snorted.

The Jigen residence:

"So this is the address, huh? I know where this place is, too! I could drive you there right now!" Ryo laughed as she read off the address.

"His wife's in a coma at the hospital," Veronica continued as she and Heiji stood behind the couch, Heiji smiling at her while she spoke, "She has been for two years, now… He's supposedly a thief, too, but who could prove it? He's almost as good as Lupin!"

"Almost," Fuij snapped in response.

"Many speculate he only continues to steal to keep up with his medical bills and put his daughter through private school…" Veronica sighed as she read over her notes, "The daughter disappeared about the same time the King Tut mask did… We're thinking she was kidnapped…."

"And who has her now?" inquired Yukiko.

"We don't know," Veronica shrugged, "If I were you, Fuji, I'd go check out his home… Halloween would be a good time to go…"

"Yeah, but you're not me!" Fuji snapped, stood, and looked around at her group, "We hit his place on Halloween, that's the best time!"

"Couldn't have thought of a better idea myself…" Veronica muttered coldly, turning and walking up the stairs to Heiji's room. Heiji shot Fuji a glare, and followed Veronica up to his room. It was then that Odori noticed Veronica had a slight limp, and decided to investigate this later.

"Try to be a little ruder, next time, Fuj…." Ryo muttered.

"Listen, we can't have everyone and their mother helping us out on this!" Fuji yelled, "It's enough that Ally's got his girlfriend here—Now we have another person to worry about! There's a reason my dad stuck to only a couple of partners, you know!"

"But she was a big help!" Ryo replied.

"Oh, yeah, siding now, huh? Well that's just dandy with me! Doesn't bother me the least!" Fuji added, folding her arms and turning away from Ryo and the others, "Excuse me, I need to go out for a breath of fresh air! Tell Ming not to expect me home for dinner!"

"God…. She's been a brat since we were kids!" Ryo glowered, sinking down into her seat deeper and staring at the old Western drama on the television.

"I hope she knows it's raining out…." Odori sighed.

There was a few moments pause, and there was the sound of someone scaling down the stairs. It was Veronica, with an umbrella.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine!" Veronica called upward to Heiji, "It's your friend I'm worried about! It wouldn't surprise me if she had a metal plate in her head… Considering how very thick her skull is…." She continued to the doorway, and then walked out of the home, and out to the patio, where Fuji was sitting.

"Why don't you like me?" Veronica inquired.

"Why should I answer that?" Fuji grumbled, glaring at Veronica, "Okay… You want to know why I don't like you? It's because I don't trust you…. And because I think you're using one of my best friends!"

Veronica paused, "I had no idea you and Heiji were so close…."

"Yeah, we go back," Fuji sighed, "I used to help him watch after Ryo…. He's a sweet kid, and I don't want to see anything happen to him! He's had a hard life, even from the minute he was born!"

"You won't… I promise…" said Veronica, seating herself next to the still-annoyed Lupin.

"Why should I believe you?" snapped Fuji.

Veronica smirked solemnly, raised her long black skirt from over her shin, and watched as Fuji's eyes widened, and the thief fell silent, "I've had a difficult life, too…" said Veronica quietly, staring down at her leg brace, "I know how highly he regards you…. And I can possibly only come second to the level of respect he has for you… But I hope you realize that I'm not here to win anything, I'm only here because I want to help out my friend and his friends… I'm hoping that if you learn a little more about me, we can be friends, too."

"I… Fine…. We go find the guy tonight…. I ain't making any promises of friendship, though! But I will try to be a little more civil, if that's what you want…."

"Understood," Veronica nodded, "Well, shall we be off, then? It's almost night time, and we still haven't gotten our costumes, yet!"

"Yeah, come on…." Fuji sighed, nodding in her direction and rising, "Boy, this is going to be a long, long night…." She turned back, and saw Ally and Carmen running up from the Alfa Romeo, newspaper serving as makeshift umbrellas for the pair. Fuji signaled for them to hurry in, and they did so, Ally nearly slipping upon the stairs as they rushed up into the house.


	33. Bad Moon Rising

Disclaimer: Je ne pas l'auteur de les dessins de anime _Lupin III_, mais j'ecrire les 'fanfics' de _Lupin_….

So…. Tell me about your week…..

Sorry this update comes so late, but someone's contracted food-poisoning and it in the middle of home repair…. Plus, I've had a lot of school work, as of recent…. Oh, as a first warning, look in early January for something quite new—What is it, you ask? Well, that I can not exactly give away now—It'd spoil something very interesting, trust me! Well, enjoy, and I hope to see you all around at another time!

Chapter Thirty Three

That Night: Bad Moon Rising

Fun Fact of Boredom: In DF, PD Amaya drives the same car as Johnny Carson did when he began to drive… '39 green Chrysler… Down to the paint color… This was a fluke, however…. Creepy, huh?

_'But now today I find,_

_you__ have changed your mind,_

_treat__ me like you did,_

_the__ night before,'_

—The Beatles, _'The Night Before'_

A Residential Home:

A doorbell sounded, and a tired and as of late disgruntled man trudged to his window and turned off his lamp, "No candy here tonight, kids!"

He was more than shocked when the door was kicked in, and a young woman dressed as a witch burst through, drawing a sword as she landed. She was followed by a cowgirl and a scantily-clad black cat. These were followed in by a male vampire and werewolf, and then finally a zombie and a woman in a black suit with a skull mask upon her face.

"What…. What are you…."

"Meow…. We aren't here for the candy, as you can see…" said Fuji playfully, winking at the man. She walked over to a table, picked up a red jacket and smiled, "Down to the cologne! I'm disappointed that you didn't dress up tonight! You costume probably would have been pur-fect…."

"Could we get over the puns before I take you out to pasture?" Ryo sighed, adjusting her white cowgirl hat and adjusting her gun in her holster.

"Fine, fine…." Fuji sighed, and turned back to the terrified homeowner, "We'd like the King Tut mask, now, if you don't mind…. It holds a lot of sentimental value for me…. Plus it freaks my dad out; something I always love to do!"

"And you do it so well, too…." Ryo sighed.

"Now, Daniel, if you don't mind…" Fuji said with a wide smile.

"You aren't getting anything until you give me Dakota!" Daniel snapped.

"…We…. We don't have the kid," Fuji said with a shrug.

"What!? I thought for sure it was your group! You guys aren't above kidnapping…."

"I only did that once!" Fuji snapped.

"How do I know you all aren't lying!? I'd give you that damn mask in a second—If you could get me my daughter back!"

"What does this look like, the stock market? I ain't here to trade!" snapped Fuji.

"Then you aren't finding that mask!" snapped Daniel, "It's not in the house, so don't even try to tear up the place to find it! There's no written map—I'm the only one with directions! Now, I think we can still work something out…. I only did this to help out my wife! I'm sure you're not the heartless bitch the media portrays you as, Miss Lupin, so I'm trusting you to help me…."

"Dammit…" Fuji grumbled, "Fine, I'll do it! Just as long as, A., You don't call the cops or B., tell anyone about this…. They'd probably think I was going soft!"

"I'm a thief, too…. Why would I call the cops?" Daniel inquired.

Fuji paused, and grumbled, "This is why I leave thinking to other people who are actually good at it!"

"Come on, Fuji… We've got only a short amount of time before Leo and Max get on our asses, I'm guessing…" Ally said, nodding for them to exit. They all filed out, Fuji stopping Toshiro as he went to leave.

"You stay, watch over father of the year for us…" Fuji ordered.

"What!? Why me?" Toshiro yelped.

"Because…. You're tall… And spooky… And you're more sane than a lot of people here?" Fuji suggested.

"Only if Yukiko comes with me…"

"Hey!" Yukiko snapped, "Just because you're playing babysitter doesn't mean I have to be miserable, too!"

"No, that's a good idea, actually. You two keep guard… And as for you, Mister Impersonator… Make sure that they don't get into anything heavy… You know what I'm saying, right, hee hee…." Fuji winked, and left the two in horror.

There was a long period of silence between the two guards and their captor before Daniel broke the silence, "So… Who wants Halloween candy, huh? I've got Snickers, Baby Ruth, Skittles—"

"Oh, Skittles!" Toshiro's face lit up, and Yukiko rolled her eyes as the samurai ventured into the living room with Daniel, followed behind moments later with a look of disgust still upon her face.

"You and your damn sweet tooth…" Yukiko grumbled.

On the Road:

"So, where does daddy live?" Max asked sweetly enough without strangling an ever-obnoxious Dakota.

"I told you, on a culderac, or whatever…." Dakota grumbled.

"Mister Dictionary, you care to translate?" Max implored of Leo, "… Before I kill her?" he added in a low growl.

"Cul-de-sac…." sighed Leo.

"Yeah, that's it!" Dakota gasped, "At least one of you is smart!" she added, falling back into her seat and glaring at Max.

"Cul-de-sac…. What the hell kind of word is that?" Max mumbled.

"French in origin, Americanized now to mean a dead-ended street where you have the ability to make a complete turn…" replied Leo as he made a sharp turn, "Hey, Dakota, does your daddy live by any buildings?"

"Um…. A supermarket with a giant chicken out front!"

Max snorted, "And he knows exactly where that is… Genius…"

"I'm six! Give me a damn break!" Dakota yelped.

"Actually, I do know where that is…" Leo replied with a chuckle.

"Really!? How?"

"I had a girl who resided here…." Leo explained.

Max chuckled, "Oh, so you were getting some action before you began whoring yourself out to our boss, eh?" Max flew forward as Leo floored the brakes of the vehicle, and hit his head against the windshield as he lurched forward, and was finally flung back into his seat, semi-conscious.

"You…. Son of bitch, LeBlanc…" Max mumbled.

"Ha ha! That was funny! Do it again!" Dakota whooped wildly.

"We'll see…. It all depends on how Uncle Zenigata wants to talk to Uncle LeBlanc…" Leo replied, starting up the car again and driving to Dakota's home with the help of her directions. He gasped as he saw an all-too-familiar vehicle pass him on the opposite side of the road. Ryo, at the same time, saw Leo out of the rearview, and saw Dakota as well. Without a single word of warning, the Lupin getaway driver made a sharp u-turn over a grass divider, and began to chase the inspectors and child.

"Ryo, what in the—Ari!? Max!? Listen, I know you still hold a flame to the guy, but they're the ones who are supposed to be chasing us!" Fuji explained.

"Look at what's in the back seat," Ryo ordered. Fuji gasped in surprise, then moaned and slammed her head against the dashboard of the Romeo.

"No… Not happening…" she mumbled.

"Hey, stop that! You're starting to sound just like your brother!" Ryo snapped.

"What do you suggest we do then, eh, genius?" Fuji snapped.

"We give them a hell of a run for it!" Ryo cackled, flooring the gas of the automobile and making Ally, Odori and Heiji cling on for dear life as she made a sharp turn.

"I think I know what Carmen meant, now…" Ally said with worry as he continued to cling onto the front seat tightly.

Daniel's Residence:

"No way! So, you actually held him at gun point when you were eight!?" Daniel gasped in wonder as Yukiko continued to relay half-sober stories of the old Lupin gang's doings.

"Yep…"

"And what happened then!?"

"Well, we got that drunk out of there, and my dad married my stepmom," replied Yukiko.

"I always wondered where Ming came in… She just mysteriously showed up in an article one day—Just like you! I've seen her and your father in grocery stores, but I'm always sort of shy when it comes to approaching them… The Lupin gang were to me like the Beatles were to all of those screaming fan girls! I can identify with your dad especially now, Yukiko—Being a single father isn't easy…"

"Being the kid of a single father isn't easy…" Yukiko added.

"Digesting this isn't easy…." Toshiro grumbled, popping another Skittle into his mouth—He glared as he looked down at the red Skittle in his hand, and quickly disregarded this into a fish tank while he watched Yukiko and Daniel continue with their conversation.

"And I know you know what it's like for someone to have a sick parent…." Daniel added, "And you know what that's like, too, from what I understand, Mister Ishikawa." Toshiro glowered, rose, and walked out into the back yard.

"He's really touchy about that…" Yukiko explained, "He wasn't there when his dad got sick, and he's still kicking himself over it…"

"Goemon's okay now, though, right?" Daniel asked worriedly.

"As weird as ever," Yukiko chuckled wryly, "Does crosswords over the phone with Jigen and Lupin over the phone all of the time… He still doesn't know a lot about Toshiro, though. A lot of things are still strained between the both of them."

"Understandable! I know all about what happened there…. He thought that she was his mother, and…"

"His real mother turns out to be crazy… And a member of the Rat Clan, to boot!" said Yukiko with a solemn shake of the head, "I'm surprised he hasn't gone crazy yet sometimes…"

"I hope I'm not prying too much, but I hear he also really likes you… And has for years…."

"…How do you know all of this?"

"Well, with a thieving ring as popular as yours, we other thieves can't help but spread gossip," Daniel chuckled absently, "That's how he tracked you down, I'm sure…. Well, my point with the previous subject is, you shouldn't wait too long… You're actually around my wife's age, and I'm around his age… I guess that makes me identify with you all a little more, as silly as it sounds…"

"Hey, Yuki!" Toshiro called, running back inside of the home, "I just saw Zenigata and LeBlanc zooming down the street! Followed by everyone else!"

"What!?" Fuji yelped, scrambling out into the front yard with Daniel. Toshiro, being as tall as he was, had managed to see over the fencing in the front of the house, and then had jumped this in order to join the other two.

"Dakota's in there!" Daniel yelped.

"Toshiro, come on!"

"What?"

"Get on your scooter… Maybe I can get a clear shot and bust out a few of the tires!" Yukiko replied, jumping upon his Vespa and waiting impatiently for him. Toshiro gave a painful glance to Daniel, but then complied. He zoomed off, tailing behind Fuji and company, who were ever-gaining upon Max and Leo.

"Man, this is so screwed up!" Yukiko chortled as she loaded her gun and began to aim at Zenigata and LeBlanc's vehicle.

"You're telling me…." Toshiro sighed as they merged into traffic. He found it easier to guide himself through the heavy traffic, having done this often in New York, and managed to pull up beside the Inspectors' car. Dakota's face brightened, and she waved to the two, and gasped as she watched Yukiko take aim for the tire.

"Cool! She's gonna bust our tire out!" Dakota gasped excitedly.

"Damn it! I missed them!" Leo yelled angrily. He stepped on the gas, and made a U-turn around the group, causing Toshiro to become disoriented and momentarily lose sight of his prey. He quickly caught up to them, but not before Leo made sure to drive up upon the sidewalk. Toshiro gripped onto the handles, and continued to follow the police cruiser with great dedication.

"Yeah, watch out!" Yukiko shrieked as Toshiro swerved out of the way of a tiny café and then out of the path of a dog walker.

"Zenigata, do something, will you!?" Leo yelled. Max nodded, and immediately went to work. He unfastened his safety belt, and rolled down his window. He removed his gun from his jacket, and aimed at the front tire of the Vespa, and shot.

"Bullet resistant, ass!" snapped Toshiro, speeding up next to the police cruiser. Leo looked to his left, and saw Ryo smiling back at him in the Alfa Romeo. And to his right, Yukiko had taken out one of Toshiro's swords and was using it to bust out the glass in the back right window. Leo wondered what on Earth he could do, but smiled as he remembered there was indeed something. Leo LeBlanc slammed on the brakes of the cruiser, hard. The Alfa Romeo continued to zoom off, as did Yukiko and Toshiro.

"Leo, that was friggin' brilliant!" Max gaped.

"Tell me you love me later—Right now, we have to get Dakota to safety," replied Leo sternly.

"Eh?" Max flushed, cleared his throat, and stared forward at the road.

"Oh my God, you _are _in love with him!" Dakota gasped.

"What!?" both yelped.

"I so am not! I have never thought of Inspector LeBlanc like that!" Max snapped, "So shut up, already! We're trying to save you!"

"Turn here, Leo!" Dakota ordered.

"Gotcha," Leo nodded, and made a sharp right turn into a suburban neighborhood. After a few more rights, all while the Lupin gang chased after them. They pulled up into the home, running over the lawn ornaments which were not limited to gnomes and flamingoes. One of the flamingoes flew up and crashed into the windshield, coming inches from Max's forehead. Leo missed the front of the house by mere inches.

"Daddy!" Dakota shrieked, jumping out of the car and running towards her father.

"Dakota!" Daniel yelled joyfully, running out of the house to embrace his daughter. Max and Leo smiled as they exited their vehicle, but this was quickly interrupted as the Lupin gang pulled up in front of the home.

"You two… Were driving here!?" Fuji growled with gritted teeth, reaching forward and gripping Max's shirt collar, "You were driving HERE!? You creep, why I oughta—"

"Fuji, haven't you heard of a 'quiet moment'?" Ryo inquired, nudging her friend in the direction of Daniel and Dakota, who were in a tight embrace. Fuji looked over at the two, and then looked at Leo, who watched the scene unfold painfully.

"You know we have to arrest him… We can't make exceptions for anyone," Max informed Leo, "He's a thief…"

"Not if he returns what he stole…" Leo answered, "Or if they even knew if it was him…"

"Huh?" Max frowned.

"Listen, Zenigata, LeBlanc, you shouldn't arrest this guy… His daughter has no one else…" Ryo started, taking a step forward to speak to them, "This guy's wife is in the hospital, in a coma…."

"Why should we trust you!?" Max growled, "You're nothing but a—"

"Max, knock it off," Leo started, "How… How do we know you're telling the truth, Jigen?"

"Leo, I'd lie about a lot of things, but not about this… You out of anyone ought to know what she's going through… She just wants her family… She doesn't care if her dad's done something bad—She still loves him, and she just wants him to take care of her!" Ryo hissed to Leo.

"I… I see your point, Ma'am," Leo nodded, "I-If we could arrest you in, in, his stead, I, um…"

Ryo took the back of Leo's head, pushed him forward, and kissed him. She felt a handcuff clasp itself around her wrist, and stared down at it, and the angered Max looking over her shoulder, "I think someone else wants in on the action…" she said with a chuckle.

"Huh, what?" Leo blinked a few times with naiveté, and before he knew it, Ryo had twisted about while Zenigata still held onto the handcuff, moving Max to the foreground, close to Leo. She then placed her undid handcuff around Leo's wrist, clipping LeBlanc to Zenigata. Max gulped dryly, and looked on painfully at Ryo, who chuckled, winked, and walked away from the duo.

"Have fun, boys!" Ryo called as she walked away from the two, being sure to wave amusedly.

"That little bitch… C'mon, LeBlanc!" Max snarled, jerking towards Ryo and dropping Leo to the floor as a result. Leo moaned, and slowly rose again with Max's help.

"First let me get out of these!" grumbled Leo, working himself out of the handcuffs and approaching the Lupin gang, handcuffs drawn and swinging about as he approached Fuji.

"Fujiko Lupin, you're—"

"Very busy… Now, will you give me a moment here, Leo?" Fuji begged, turning to Daniel and smiling, "Now… As for that mask…"

"Okay, I'll tell you…." Daniel said, "I mailed it…"

"YOU WHAT!?" Fuji shrieked at the top of her lungs.

"Two days ago… It ought to be arriving at its destination any moment now," Daniel responded.

"I just chased two police officers through the busy streets of Chicago… I pulled together numerous sources from all around the globe… Just to find out you mailed away the object of my affection! How could you!?"

"Um… Hey, you're the one who wouldn't save a kid…" Daniel replied.

"Grr! Ryoko, let's go out for drinks!" Fuji whined, "This is too much!"

"We just destroyed thousands of American dollars in property to find out we were following a red herring!?" Max yelled angrily.

"It wasn't like it wasn't worth it, Zenigata…." Leo sighed as he looked over at Daniel and Dakota, and then to Fuji, "Now if you excuse me, for have to arrest you…."

"You'll never catch me, copper!" Fuji cackled madly, dashing into the Alfa Romeo with the others. Leo ran to the police cruiser, but then glanced back at the torn up bits of the vehicle's belly strewn upon the street, and resorted to trying to chase them down the street.

"Toshiro, Yukiko, you're under arrest!" Max hissed in the direction of the Vespa riding pair.

"Says you and what army!?" Yukiko laughed.

"Here, Miss Yukiko!" Daniel called, and threw her a small pad of paper, "Please take that, if you will!"

"Okay," Yukiko nodded, and hung on for dear life just as Toshiro started up his vehicle and sped off after the Romeo.

"Crap, crap, crap, CRAP!" Max shouted angrily, and turned to Daniel, panting, "We only have hearsay that you're a thief, so you better watch your ass, before we catch you!" Max warned, pointing a finger to Daniel severely.

"Inspector, you have my word—After tonight, I am a straight man!" Daniel proclaimed as he lifted up Dakota in his arms.

"More than he can say about you, Max!" Dakota chortled.

Max glared, "Why, I—"

"I heard you talking to a girl about it! Amaya, right!?" Dakota continued.

"Honey… Remember when we talked about two different types of speech?" Daniel began.

"Uh, yeah…"

"Well, there's a good example," said Daniel, "Thank you both so much for giving my daughter back to me… She's more precious than anything I could ever hope to steal…"

"Yeah, well, she isn't half bad when she has her mouth shut…" Max muttered uncomfortably, avoiding the piercing stares of Leo in the process.

"I don't know how I'll ever repay you both!"

"Nope, it's not necessary! All in a day's work for two Interpol officers!" Max said proudly.

"Uh, could you call a tow truck?" Leo inquired after a pause, "Unlike him, I don't want to push the car home…"

"I'll go inside and get to it," Daniel replied, walking back into the house with Dakota. While they waited, Leo went to imploring Max.

"What were you talking about with Amaya on the phone?" Leo inquired.

"This girl in the office… I was asking her if those sorts of relationships work or not…" Max replied with a nervous chuckle. Leo leaned forward, and frowned.

"That's one thing about you, Zenigata… You're an awful cleric and accountant, and on top of that, you're a bad liar!"

"Leo, I… It's not important! We'll talk about it later!" replied Max, folding his arms and looking at Leo seriously.

"Tell you what…. This Thursday we sit down and tell one another everything…" Leo cringed a little as he spoke; it would be hard, but it would be the only way to get Max to talk.

"You want to know now, LeBlanc? I'll tell you now, okay?" Max snapped, "I was a nerd, then I was a punk, okay!? I stole, lied, cheated… I was in a Japanese gang…. Then my dad kicked my ass one night to the point he felt so bad he wouldn't talk to me, and my mom got me into a school to become a rabbi… Nothing like having a seventy-year-old man knock you around the block in front of all of the neighbors… There was someone I really liked there, but that was pretty-much unrequited… I got depressed and I flunked out after an incident at a bris… My parents wanted me out anyway when they found out about my little crush… Then they sent me to anger management, and by the time I was nineteen, I was in the police academy… I was damn good at that, but I hated it… I hated it because both of my parents were cops, and the last thing I wanted to be was like them… I then decided to try accounting… I flunked out of that, and then went begging to Interpol for a job as a last resort… And then I ended up here, and I can honestly say this is a low point in my life!"

"…What was the name of the girl you liked…?" Leo inquired.

Max choked, "Jacob… Come on, let's go…"

Leo gaped, "You're…"

Max's face reddened, and he snapped his glace back towards Leo, "Yeah, I'm bi, okay!? Listen, it was a long time ago, so get off of it!" snapped Max angrily, "I don't like talking about it very much…"

"Hey, why's that car slowing down?" Leo wondered, reaching instinctively for his gun. LeBlanc's instincts proved worthy when someone in the back of the heavily tinted car threw a cocktail bomb at the duo. Both officers panicked, and Leo ran forward and kicked the bomb into a backyard, and into a pool. It exploded moments later, sending water flying over the roof of the home and down onto the street. The car circled back around and this time guns were drawn. The guns flew out of the hands of the unknown assailants, however, and Leo and Max looked over to see Yukiko standing on top of Toshiro's Vespa seat, leaving her with a clear shot. Behind them was the Alfa Romeo with the Lupin gang in tow.

"Dori, try to get to the tires!" Fuji ordered. Odori nodded, ran in the opposite direction of the car, and drew out her sword, and then swung. Two of the bottoms of the left tires blew, and the car went barreling in Daniel's yard, crashing into Leo and Max's car and sending both their cruiser and the black car into Daniel's home.

Both inspectors were mere inches from this, and were quite shaken. Leo yelped as he noticed he was clinging onto Max, and quickly let go of his hold upon Zenigata. Max gave a small sigh; he had known from the start that if Leo had known that LeBlanc would have been less comfortable around him. If only he hadn't let his temper get in the way! Well, there was no escaping it, it had been said.

"That was close…" Leo muttered as Max jumped upon the hood of the car and drew his gun.

"Interpol! Get out, or we'll shoot! And you've caught me in a bad mood, so I'd watch your ass! Get the hell out before I shoot the glass!"

"Is he… Always like this?" Ryo inquired.

"Yeah, and I'm the crazy one," Ally snorted, shaking his head.

"Okay, okay… It wasn't us, though… We was workin' for Victor Lupin!" replied the henchman as he exited the vehicle, hands drawn. Daniel and Dakota by this time were out of their home, and Daniel gasped as one of the henchmen scooped Dakota up and held a gun to her head.

"Now, all of you go, before she gets one in the skull!" ordered the henchman. Odori went to draw Zantetsu, but Fuji signaled for her to cease this, and all watched tensely.

"Victor, you bastard… You're relentless…"

"I'm going to get her…" Max said quietly to Leo.

"What!? Max, he's got a gun! They all do, and there's four!" Leo whispered in return.

"At his point, what do I have to lose?" Max said. Leo watched in horror as Max ran forward, knocked the gun out of the kidnapper's hand, swung and delivered a right-hook to his face, and took a terrified Dakota in his arms. The young girl shook horribly as Leo ran forward and tackled another armed lackey, and Toshiro disabled the two with a few blows of the sword.

Fuji stamped upon one of the hands of one of the lackeys as he went to reach for a gun just out of his grasp, "You go back… And tell your boss… That I'm going to pay him back in double for everything he's done… That's a promise!"

The terrified lackey nodded, rose, and ran off down the street, knocking over several stunned trick-or-treaters in the process.

"You okay, kid?" Max asked.

"You saved me…" Dakota gasped, "Thanks…"

"No problem," Max nodded, and allowed her to run back to her father.

"Thanks again…" Daniel said with a tone of awe, "I guess you all really are anti-heroes, huh?" he said quietly.

"Well, happy Halloween—Sorry about your window!" Fuji called, quickly jumping back into the vehicle with the others and once again driving off into the night.

"I guess you guys'll need a cab to your hotel, huh?" Daniel chuckled lightly.

Leo shook his head, "I am so…"

"Don't be… We're moving soon, anyway…" Daniel sighed, "I guess I don't have that dilemma about whether or not to buy new furniture, now… I'll be back… Dakota you say good-bye to them, okay?"

"'Kay, Daddy," Dakota nodded, and looked upward at Max and Leo, "…You ran into my house…."

"Er, yeah… Sorry about that…" Max coughed.

"Thanks for saving me… Max, you're okay… You too, Leo!"

"Good to know I meet the standards of a six-year-old," Zenigata nodded.

"Will you both come and visit me?" Dakota inquired.

"Sure, Sweetie… Whenever we can get a break…" Leo nodded, bending down to become eye-level with her and smiling, "You're a good, good girl, Dakota…"

"I know," Dakota nodded, "You two take care, and don't fight so much! It's not nice, and you two are really good guys!"

"We'll… Work on it…" Zenigata replied, "Come on, Leo, we'll start walking… The cab can pick us up along the way…"

"Okay, I'll tell Daddy!" Dakota started to run, but Max stopped her, and called her over. Her eyes lit up as he revealed a set of handcuffs.

"You don't go using those on anyone when they're moving vehicles, you hear?" Max said with a chuckle, "Maybe I'll show you how to throw those one day…"

"Really!? Thanks!" Dakota said with a smile.

"Yeah, we'll practice on LeBlanc… See you later, Dakota!" Max waved.

"See you later, Max! See you later, Leo!" Dakota waved as the two started their trek out of the neighborhood.

"So… Nice weather, huh?" Leo said after they had been walking for some time in silence.

"Listen, I don't want anything to change between us, okay? I'm not kidding when I'm telling you that you're my only friend…" Max said, "I didn't tell you because I was afraid you'd think I was going hit on you or something, and I don't want to… I only liked him… The rest were girls…."

"Listen, Max, I don't care if you have a thing for chickens, personally… I still want to be your friend, too… Nothing's changed, Zenigata… I'm still your friend!" Leo said with a reassuring smile.

But Max knew that this was a lie. Although he knew this, Zenigata did not call LeBlanc on the carpet… He was much too tired.

"So, where's Jacob, anyway?" Leo asked.

"Got married to a dentist, moved to San Andreas… Has two kids…" Max replied.

"Jeeze, Zenigata… I'm so sorry…" said Leo in a whisper.

"Aw, it's okay… I've still got my friends…" Max sighed, shaking his head, "I need a drink…"

"Me, too… Sounds good…." Leo said with a smile, "How about we go get Shirley Temples? I'm a really mean drunk…"

"…Sounds like a date to me…"

"Date!? W-Wait, Zenigata! What'd you mean!?" Leo choked.

"You're still jumpy, I see…." Max chuckled, "Did I ever mention you have beautiful eyes?" He continued to laugh at Leo's stunned expression, and the two continued to walk down the emptied suburban streets.

The Jigen Household:

"Ally with Carmen… Heiji with what's-her-face… Yukiko with Toshiro… My ex-fiancé with Zenigata… Yep, it's a good night…" Ryo sighed as she, Odori and Fuji sat upon the couch of the living room, Fuji flipping idly through channels.

"If I see her come down once more time in his kimono I'm going to snap…" mumbled Fuji, "Oh, look, a football game!"

"My money goes on the little green ones…" said Odori.

"What!? You don't know anything about football!" protested Fuji.

"Yes, but I like the color green…." Odori replied, "It signifies life, longevity, and—He missed the damn tackle! C'mon, you lousy son of a—"

"Good to know the world is at piece, huh, Fuji?" Ryo chuckled.

"I guess… I just wish it felt peaceful…" Fuji muttered as she looked down at an envelope sticking out of her jacket pocket.

"Hey, I wonder where that mask ended up…." Ryo said with wonder.

"Who the hell knows… I just know it's not here…" Fuji grumbled.

"What the hell!? Who taught you how to play—A gimpy nun!?" Odori shrieked to the television. Both Ryo and Fuji sighed and shook their heads, and both tensed as Odori drew her sword and pointed it at the television, "As sure as the sun rises and sets, I will not allow you to continue living if you show me failure from my team of choice, television set!"

Rural France:

"Huh… Wonder what this is…." Lupin wondered as he poked at a brown package on his doorstep, "My birthday was in August…."

"Lupin, what's going on?" Fujiko inquired.

"Someone sent me a gift… They even sent a card…" Lupin muttered as he opened the attached card, "Huh… It's from Victor…" He tore open the package, and undid the wrapping, and let out a long shriek as he looked upward at the pharaoh's mask staring back upward at him coldly.


	34. My Boyfriend's Back

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Lupin, but I do own _Spellcheck_… And I should make more use of it, no?

Hey!

Yes, yes, I did make mistakes. I'll admit… A lot of long-time readers especially know that those happen with me often… My brain tends to do this funny thing, where it stops dead sometimes… But it's okay to point it out—If I screw up, let me know… I'll also admit that's a heck of a lot of responses I got on Max… After thirty-three chapters of wondering, it was time to come clean with the little guy… And I'm glad that there's a happy consensus… Well, I don't do chapter dedications very often, but this one goes to my father…

Chapter Thirty-Four

A Little While Later: My Boyfriend's Back

Fun Fact of Boredom: Yukiko's suit color was chosen because of her name, which translates into 'snow'.

_'Whatever happened to_

_the__ life that we once knew?_

_Can we really live without each other?_

_Where did we lose the touch,_

_That seemed to mean so much?'_

—The Beatles, _'Free as a Bird'_

San Francisco, California, about three years ago:

"You're kidding… That's a Rabbi?" muttered one young man to another as he laid eyes upon the yellow-haired Asian with a somewhat nervous look upon his face, "…Oh, this is going to be fun, hee hee…"

The two approached the blond boy, and chuckled as they looked him over. He was somewhat disheveled in appearance, with a pair of round glasses accenting his face. It was fall, and he wore a dark denim jacket, black turtleneck and dark-colored jeans.

"Hey, how do you do…?" one sniggering boy inquired.

"Fine, thanks… I'm Max," said Max with a weak smile. He stuck out his hand to shake, but watched in horror and shock as the boy instead bowed. Max cringed… He already knew the direction of this conversation…

"So… What are you, Chinese?" inquired one boy.

"Japanese and English-Israeli," replied Max.

"Well, could you answer a question for me, then?"

Max sighed, "…Sure… What?"

"Is sushi kosher!?" he laughed wildly; the other soon joined in the laughter, but this discontinued as Max watched them fly through the air. Max remained in a stunned state as he watched them land in a nearby fountain, and saw a smiling boy in their place.

"Sounded like they were bothering you…" said the boy with an Eastern-European accent, "I'm Jacob…"

"Max… Max Zenigata…" replied Max coyly.

"Nice to meet you, Max!" Jacob said happily, "Hey, you're not related to Natasha Zenigata, are you!?"

"She's my mom…"

"She teaches my little sister self-defense!" Jacob continued with a laugh, "She taught me how to do that move you saw back there…"

"…I though that looked familiar…."

"Come on, we'll go get something to eat… What do you say?"

"Not sushi, right?"

"I was thinking more along the lines of Italian," Jacob responded, placing a hand upon one of Max's shoulders and laughing, "We'll take my car, okay? You don't even look like you're old enough to ride a bike! How old are you—Fifteen, sixteen?"

"I'm turning seventeen in a few weeks…" Max answered as-a-matter-of-factly.

"Well, you really are precise, huh!? You should be a detective or something!" Jacob added.

"Eh… No, thanks…." Max responded, "So, you really want to be a Rabbi?"

"Well… My family wants me to… How about you?"

"It was this or the military academy, and I didn't want anyone shaving my head or ending up as someone's bitch anytime soon."

Jacob nodded understandingly, "Yeah… You'd be better looking if you kept it long like that… Hey, Sushi Boy, what's with the weird look? Come on, let's get going!"

_Better looking?_ Max cleared his throat, and followed Jacob into the school parking lot, and into Jacob's vehicle.

Present Time, a Romanian Hotel Room:

"… And then…?" Leo inquired intently as Max took a long pause.

"And then!?" Zenigata exclaimed, "And then _what_!?"

"Well… What happened?" Leo asked, "There must've been more if your parents hated this guy so much that they got you out of that school and away from him!"

"You're a freakin' pervert! I told you before, I don't like to talk about this… And why I'm telling you all of this, anyway!? I should've just kept my mouth shut and let this die!"

"No way—This is like some kind of independent film I used to sneak in to see as a kid in France! You know… Those really weird ones about the artists and soldiers and whatever…" Leo protested, "Boy meets boy at a synagogue...."

"Listen, it wasn't that simple!" snapped Max, "Jake was the first person in my whole damn life who bothered to stand up for me! I thought I could get protection from being in a gang of hoods, but they were almost as mean to me as those punks… There was only one other person like that who protected me, but I was just a little kid, then! And he's gone, anyway!"

"Jeeze, Zenigata… I never knew you had it that rough…"

"There's a lot you don't know… And there's a lot you should have never known…" Max said darkly.

"Why haven't you ever told anyone about that?" inquired Leo.

"What would you do if you did something bad…. If you could see my juvenile record, your jaw would hit the damn floor… Wouldn't you try to hide a past like that?" Max asked passionately.

"…Yeah, I guess so…" Leo nodded, "Well, let's get back to work…"

"What are we doing here, anyway? Aren't we supposed to be watching Lupin—Who's still in Chicago!?" Max asked irritably.

"Some big business guy… He said we were the only ones for the job…" replied Leo, "He said he'd sue Interpol for everything they had if he didn't get his way…"

"I'm guessing he was drunk when he filed the report, then…" Max quipped. Leo looked back, and glared.

"He'll be here any minute, so I'd pretty yourself up…" said Leo.

"Why bother? Probably just some confused fat-cat who's become deluded with wealth and power… Ah, to live the good life…" Max sighed.

"Here he is…" Leo said as he peered out of the window and then walked to the door, "Could you at least put your ashtray away? It's not really professional…"

"Screw it… Since when have we been professional?" Max laughed as he rose out of his chair straightened his tie. The door opened, but Max refrained from looking at who was standing in the doorway.

"Er, step right in, Sir… And please pardon my partner's rudeness…" Leo said with annoyance as he shut the door.

"Oh, it's no problem… Sushi boy and me go way back, anyway…" Max shot his head in the direction of the voice, and gaped.

"Jake…?" Max choked.

"Jake!?" Leo shrieked in surprise.

Chicago:

"Mom, why is Carmen doing dishes in the kitchen?" Ally inquired as he walked over to his mother, who was mindlessly flipping through television channels.

"She wanted to… Apparently, she's never done dishes before… So I let her! I was going to get your father to do it, anyway…" replied Ming breezily.

"Hey!" Jigen shouted from upstairs, "I'm already working!"

"You're helping Goemon with a crossword… Well, on second thought, that _is_ harder work…" Ming said with thought.

"All finished, Li Yan!" said Carmen happily.

"Terrific, Honey! How about you let Mom show you how to sweep, now?" Ming said with a tone of excitement in her voice.

"I've never done that, either…" Carmen said with a pause.

"Well, there's a first time for everything, right? And plus, I'm sure you and Ally will be spending a whole lot of time here when you two get married!" said Ming, chuckling innocently as she laid eyes upon Ally's expression of disdain, "You'll be able to help me out with these things while I help you with the grandkids!"

"Grandkids!?" Jigen shouted, "Daisuke Allen, is there something you wanted to _friggin__'_ let me know ahead of time!?"

"Wha—I… I didn't…. I, I would never!..." Ally sputtered.

"One call… One call, and you freak out!" Yukiko shouted as Toshiro pursued her through the living room.

"Oh thank God, they're at it now!" Ally said under his breath with great relief.

"One call--And lunch, too!" Toshiro snapped, "When were you going to tell me!?"

"When it started to be your damn business, which it hasn't!" Yukiko shouted in return.

"He gave you his phone number!"

"He wanted tips on how to handle his daughter!"

"Yeah, and maybe also some on how to get you into his room, as well!" Toshiro snapped bitterly.

"You'd just be jealous that it wasn't you…" Yukiko hissed.

"You're damn right!" Toshiro replied. Yukiko looked at Toshiro with great contempt while the samurai's expression turned to horror when he realized what he had said, and she began to lift up a Chinese vase and aim it for Toshiro's head when Ryo and Fuji grabbed her from behind.

"Just the skull… Wouldn't be like I was hurting anything, considering he thinks with his pants half the time!" Yukiko shouted as Fuji and Ryo struggled to hold her back.

"I'm going to go train…" Toshiro said, storming towards the back yard.

"Yeah, you go do that! I hope you fall into that pool and drown your red-headed ass, ya damn tomato!"

"Tomato! My, aren't _we_ clever…?" Toshiro said dryly as he slammed the door to the back yard.

"Yukiko, what happened?" Ryo asked as she let go of the hold on her sister.

"I'm out at lunch, and I all of a sudden I see him from across the street! So, naturally, like any good friend would do, I go over and slam his head with the nearest trashcan lid!" Yukiko replied, gritting her teeth together, "He starts bitching that I put him into a concussion, and then Daniel comes over and--"

"Woah, woah… Backup… Daniel? Like Dakota's dad, Daniel?" Ryo said with raised eyebrows.

"Yeah—What's the big damn deal with that?" Yukiko asked, "It was just lunch!"

"And Hector was just taking you out for drinks…" Fuji snorted.

"Hey, I can go out, too, you know!"

"But usually… When people ask you out… People get hurt…" said Ryo uncomfortably, "I've never known you to have a safe date in your life…"

"Jesus! I'm goin' upstairs!" Yukiko announced, stomping up the stairs and nearly running over Heiji and Veronica, who was still staying with the family.

Yukiko opened her door, and slammed it, and fell back into her seat. She glanced out the window, and noticed Toshiro was practicing with his swords, "Oh… Trying to prove you're a man with your swords, huh? Hee hee… You're no different than any other man… You act like it, but you're not." She continued to watch him, and glared, "Damn son of a… How could he… I mean, really!? How could he do that.…? Spy on me like that! Oh, there goes the shirt… Must be really pissed, eh, Toshi-chan? You're probably pretending that that tree's anyone who's ever been interested in me, right? My dad's going to kill you for chopping up his apple trees…"

She continued spying on him, and eventually leaned back in her chair, in a more relaxed position, while offering her own commentary, "Why are you walking around now, hm? Must be looking for something small and helpless to kill so you can feel like the big strong man again, huh? Yeah, you'll probably cook it too, huh?"

"Yuki, why are you talking to yourself? I thought you got over that stage…" Yukiko nearly fell out of her seat as Ming stood in the doorway, but regained her balance by grabbing onto a desk and setting the chair on all four of its wooden legs.

"Um… No reason…" Yukiko replied, clearing her throat.

"What are you looking at, then?" Ming closed the door, and looked out Yukiko's window. Ming whistled, "Wow… He's really built, huh? I always heard dancers were pretty good looking, but I had no idea!"

"Ew! You used to baby-sit him!" Yukiko moaned in disgust.

"Yeah, well, that was a baby… This is something completely different!" Ming moved away from the window, and chuckled, "I heard all about your little scuffle with him…"

"Yeah, and?" Yukiko snapped, "Hey, what are you doing?" she asked as Ming removed her fedora and laid it aside on the bed. The Chinese woman then picked up a brush, and began to run it through Yukiko's long hair, tossing the hair band that held it together aside aimlessly.

"Remember when I used to dress you up?" Ming said dreamily.

"Yeah… I always looked like the child bride of a Yakuza lord… Ouch!" Yukiko yelped as Ming swiftly tapped her on the head with the wooden brush.

"I want to do that again… I never get to, anymore, with you girls out of the house! And Sachiko doesn't exactly fully trust me and your father, right now… So I guess it's good thing I'm having a couple of others! Even though your dad's a little more than freaked out…" Ming sighed as she opened a dresser drawer and pulled out bobby pins from a small container, "We're going to make you look adorable!"

"I'm a bodyguard… We don't look 'adorable'… We look tough… We look discreet…" Yukiko replied.

"Uh-huh… You must have your father's vision, then, because last time I checked, white wasn't exactly a stealthy color… Now hold still while I do this!"

"Hm…" Yukiko grumbled as Ming tugged at her long hair, and continued to watch from out of her window at the still-practicing Toshiro, who now removed both of his swords from their sheathes and swung them about in an almost dance-like fashion. He was more graceful than she had realized, she thought as she watched him. He rarely looked like that, as a matter of fact, she also realized. This was definitely the country boy with the love for Elvis… This was someone who was nearly thirty, had nearly started a family, and had become the closest to normalcy out of any of them. And he was also in love with her, she added with an outward shudder.

If he had enjoyed that normal life once, why would he not want to return to it? This was what she was afraid of… She had never known a normal life—Oddity was the norm in her world. How could she ever live a normal life in a house, settling down and starting a family or getting a job?

But perhaps he enjoyed the stranger life of a thief… He had gone back to it, after all… And if he didn't mind living on the road, then… Well, he did look exactly like his father, and Goemon had been exceptionally attractive at Toshiro's age… Many girls wanted Toshiro, this was no secret… But he rarely strayed away from Yukiko (with the exceptions of Lisa and Julia).

_'Did he still feel that way when he was with Julie?'_ Yukiko thought with a wide-eyed chill of horror.

"All done!" Ming said cheerily.

"Hm? What…?" Yukiko had been too deep within her thoughts to pay attention to Ming. She looked over at herself in the mirror, and sighed… She had a traditional Chinese pulled-back hairstyle, showing her otherwise oblivious widow's peak which all of the Jigen children possessed, "Uh… Very nice… Thanks, Mom… Eh hee hee… I'll get going now…"

"Glad you like it! Well, see you around, Yuki!" Ming waved her off, and Yukiko let out a heavy sigh as she began exit, but quickly stopped dead as her father's presence darkened the doorway.

"We've got to talk…" Jigen said sternly. "Ming, why don't you check on Carmen and Ally? I heard a pretty loud crash early, and that worries me…"

"I'm on it!" Ming saluted, and exited out of the bedroom. Jigen closed the door behind her, and leaned against it.

"Okay…" Jigen started, "You're basically the female mirror of me, so I know already that you're going to be difficult to talk to…"

"What is it, Dad?" Yukiko rolled her eyes tiredly, "If this is one thing about Toshiro, I'm gonna—"

"Lupin's inviting everyone over for Christmas…" Jigen said with a gulp.

"Everyone?"

"Everyone," Jigen repeated sternly, "The new Lupin gang, the Ishikawa—tribe, the Zenigatas—including Max! Us, and even Ari!"

"Is Goemon and his family going to show?" asked Yukiko worriedly.

"Are you kidding!? Amaya, not having to cook for nine alone for once…! They've already bought their damn tickets!" Jigen shouted, "This reeks of trouble…"

"Tell me about it…" Yukiko said with a shake of the head.

Both looked at one another hopelessly, "What in the friggin' hell are we gonna do!?"

Romania:

"I… I heard you were still in California!" Max sputtered.

"I do a lot of business here…" Jake replied, "I've seen you and Mister LeBlanc in the papers… There isn't that much good about you two, but, hey, I know you're still the same good ole' Max! Ha ha…. Hey, Inspector, is he still the same little hothead!?"

"You bet!" Leo smirked in return, "I'm going to go out for a smoke…"

"But you don't—" Max started as Leo grabbed Max's cigarettes from the nightstand and placed one in his mouth.

"Hey, you should know better than anyone that there's a first time for everything, Max… I'll see you guys later… Have fun playing catch-up!" and with those words spoken and a cold glare exchanged, Leo exited the hotel room, leaving Max and Jacob together.

"So… I hear you're married now…" Max began as he made himself look busy amongst his files.

"Yeah… She's really great…. And it looks like you've got yourself someone, too!" Jacob added, "He seems like a real sweetheart…"

"He's… We're just friends…"

"Really? Well, that's a damn shame! He's a nice looking guy…. And you always liked brunettes, too!"

"I know," Max nodded, "Jake, let's cut to the chase… Why are you here?" he asked tiredly, sitting down on the bed and looking upward at Jacob.

"Because I need help, basically, and you're the only one I know who's good at this sort of stuff! You don't get on the Lupin IV case by being a complete idiot!"

"Er… Yeah… So, what's the job?"

"I had something stolen…" Jacob started, "It's very important… It's a Torah that belonged to my family… It was headed down through the centuries… I have no idea where it is…"

"You have no leads at all?" Max choked.

"No, but I have a good idea on how to get it…" Jacob started, seating himself next to Max and smiling, "You're going to think I'm crazy, Pal, but trust me on this, okay? I've never let you down before!"

"No, you haven't… Now, what's your plan?"

"We have Lupin try to steal it…"

"What!?"

"Now, bear with me… We put out an article in a prominent paper talking about how valuable it is… She becomes intrigued, you follow her lead to the source, and we take it back that way! She does the research, you get your men, and I walk away with what's mine…."

"That's playing so many backwards cards… Hey, you've still got it!" Max chirped happily, "Okay… I'll run it by Leo… I hope he likes it…"

"He doesn't usually like your ideas?"

"Well, I've come up with some pretty crazy ones, I'll admit… But this idea seems as though it'll really work!"

"I've still got it, all right…" Jacob chuckled, "And how about you, huh?"

"What's that mean?" Max asked, blinking naively a few times. Jacob leaned inward, and immediately Max's face reddened. Jake laughed as he retracted his face from Zenigata's, and patted Max on the back.

"Yep—Still the same ole' Zenigata!" Jake said with a smile, "I'm happy, you know, but sometimes I can't help but think what a pity it was that I didn't know you had a thing for me until it was too late… What happened to you after your mom caught us, anyway?"

"I… I have to get to work on writing that article…" Max whispered, and rose from the bed, "You can stay, if you want… There's coffee over there, and Pringles somewhere in this sty…"

"Coffee and Pringles… And I thought that Ramen and Snapple was gross…" Jacob said with a dry smile, "I'll go try and find it… You just stay put, Sushi Boy… Took me long enough to find you again, hee hee…."

The Jigen Household:

"What's this ribbon for?" Carmen inquired as she peered into the shadowbox picture frame in the hall.

"Dance competition…" Ally replied, "Ryo and Dad…. Ryoko was about fifteen when she won… Ming broke her foot about that time…. So Ryo went with Dad…. They weren't half bad, either!"

"Did your father teach you to dance as well?" Carmen asked with amusement.

"…Um, maybe…" Ally coughed, and Carmen gave a small giggle in return.

"I'd love to live here someday…" Carmen said with a smile as she continued to walk down the hall.

"What? And give up the palace?" Ally inquired as though she were mad, "But aren't you your mom's only kid? What'll happen to the country? What'll happen to your mom?"

"I don't know," Carmen's voice cracked, "That's the part that confuses me… If I make you move to Cagliostro, I know you'll be miserable! But there's no one else to run the country… I have to…"

Ally's mouth twitched; she was right, it would mean giving up a lot on his part… He wouldn't be able to go out with the Lupin gang anymore if he was settled down, and he certainly would have no luck with hockey there; few villagers had heard of the sport, and, growing up, hockey (and then, following close behind, martial arts) had been his life. And he would also be many, many hours from his family and friends…. Heiji, Ryo, Yuki, Dori, Fuji… Even Toshiro, he would miss. He couldn't even read the native language of the country… It would be like dropping him in the middle of Panama with nothing for supplies except a worn jackknife and a box of matches.

"I'll go," said Ally with a pause.

"What?" Carmen spun around in surprise.

"The only time I'm miserable is when I'm not with you… I know that sounded extremely mushy, but I meant every damn word of it…"

"What about Fujiko?"

"She'll hate me, but she'll have to get over herself…" Ally replied, "I'll try to talk to her later… My dad's going to be upset, I know… He'll just think it's a mistake guided by young love… And, who the heck knows… Maybe he's right… But he could always be wrong!"

"We can talk about things like that later…" Carmen sighed, "But right now, I think that you would be making a mistake in giving up everything, especially when you have so much going for you! I'll always have a palace, and I'll always have that title looming over me… You only have today to enjoy… I'm sort of jealous that you don't have a high title hanging over your head…"

"What, are you kidding me!? My name's Daisuke Jigen—That's quite a title, too!" Ally laughed, "Everyone immediately thinks I'm the gunman of the group, but that's undoubtedly Yukiko… Just like people distrust Ryo a little more because she looks so much like mom! Sometimes I think I only have this haircut because it makes it a little harder for people to see the similarity between me and my old man…"

Carmen reached upward, and pulled his bangs back. Both she and Ally eyed the photo of Jigen's father, hatless in this particular photo, and Ally's reflection upon the glass of it, and Carmen blinked a few times in shock; Ally was exactly like Jigen, minus the beard. A smile grew upon her face, and she laughed.

"It's quite all right, Allen… I look exactly like my mother!" Carmen chuckled.

"Yeah, but your mom doesn't look like a less-masculine version of the Wicked Witch of the West…" Ally sighed, brushing his bangs down over his eyes and studying the picture a little more before Carmen continued to walk down the hall.

They heard the clinking of bottles, and both stopped dead, "Who's in the wine cellar?" Ally inquired, peaking his head in to the dimly-lit wine cellar.

"Now you talk about your childhood wishes… You can even eat the dishes! Oh, who can take tomorrow, dip it in a dream? Separate the sorrow and collect up all the cream? The Candyman… The Candyman can… The Candyman can 'cause he mixes it with love and makes the world taste good!" Odori sang drunkenly as she sat upon the floor, several emptied wine bottles lying about her. She looked upward, and let out a long, long stream of laughter, and slumped back onto the floor, "Hey hee hee hee… Ally, you wanna come have a drink?"

Ally whistled, "Well, she's out of it…"

"How much did you drink, Miss Odori?" Carmen inquired worriedly.

"Er… This many… Hee hee… This is four, right?" she asked with a giggle, holding up six fingers.

Ally slapped his forehead and grumbled, "C'mon… What possessed you to do this, anyway?"

"What can I say…? If it's 38' Chardonnay, I'm a sucker…" replied Odori, "And since that was such a good year, I thought I'd try the Bourbon… And then about four others whose names I can't quite remember… I'm pretty sure this isn't wine, though, hee hee… I think I drank your mom's Pinesol, again, ha ha HA!"

"Well, let's hope they won't have to pump your stomach, like last time," Ally grumbled, bending down and beginning to lift her, "Could you help me get her to her room, before she starts singing Irish drinking songs…"

"She'll do that?"

"Eventually," said Ally with a roll of the eyes, picking Odori up like a small child (which was not hard, for the samurai only stood slightly over five feet) and carrying her up the stairs, "Hey, lookin' a little green there, Dori… You gonna be okay?"

"Sure… I… Oh God… I hate boats… I always get seasick…" Odori said sickly.

Later:

"I am so sorry, Carmen," said Ally once again as he and his girlfriend stood in the bathroom.

"It's all right… There's first time for everything, I suppose… Doing dishes… Sweeping… Being vomited on by a drunk…" Carmen said with her best attitude as she continued to clean her blouse off with the towel Ally had provided.

"I'll try to find you something to wear…" Ally said, "I'll be right back, don't go anywhere!" he added, exiting the bathroom adjacent to his bedroom and walking out into his mother and father's room. Ming was the closest to Carmen in matching size… What disturbed him was that he found nothing non-whorish that would fit in his mother's closest, but found a rather conservative young woman's blouse and skirt in his father's closet.

"Must be from your days disguising yourself, Dad… I hope…." Ally said with a shudder, "I wonder if he's got a garter and—Never mind! I don't wanna know!" he shook his head wildly, and trekked back to his room, where he found Carmen sitting upon his bed in a hockey jersey. Ally had never really seen her legs, and his face reddened, and he handed her the outfit while looking away, towards the television, which played an episode of _Astroboy_

"The tape was in your player…" Carmen said with a tone of concern.

"Um, yeah… Dad taught us Japanese by getting us all videos of Japanese cartoons… Mom taught us Chinese by yelling at Dad…" Ally replied.

"I'd love to learn it sometime," Carmen admitted.

"Okay… Um… Here's a word… Daisuki…"

"And what's that mean?"

"I love you," Ally answered.

"Well, you are clever… I will be right out," Carmen announced, taking the outfit and walking to the bathroom. Ally let out a long breath of air, and fell back on the bed.

"Jeeze… Gets harder all of the time…" he said to himself tiredly, rubbing his hands over his eyes. He turned as he heard the bathroom door open, and Carmen walked out in the pink short-sleeved blouse and matching blue skirt. It was about that time that Jigen entered, already having told Ryo of the happy news, and stared at her in horror a few moments, as if immediately placing where the outfit had come from.

"There something you need, Dad?" Ally inquired.

"Huh?" Jigen snapped out of his trance and turned to his son, "Me, I'm okay… I just came to check on you two, actually… Um… Nice dress, Carmen…"

"Thank you… It's tad broad in the shoulders, but besides that it's quite comfortable…" Carmen admitted.

"If you like Piña Coladas, and getting caught in the rain…" the three heard drunkenly in a sudden burst of noise.

"Crap! I thought I had locked that door!" Ally mumbled, "I'll be right back… Odori! Get that lampshade off of your head, NOW!"

"Hrm… He's playing policeman, I guess…" Jigen said absently. He turned back to Carmen, and smirked, "Sorry that I couldn't see you with both eyes, Miss Cagliostro…"

"Allen told me about how you had difficulties with your vision…" Carmen said quietly, "It's quite a shame, considering how you used to be one of the best gunmen on the planet…"

"Yep, and I switched over to best stay-at-home dad on the planet, after that," said Jigen with a bittersweet chuckle, "It was rough seeing everyone go out on heists, and being stuck with the kids… But I got used to it… It was even harder seeing my fourteen-year-old turning into a pro sniper… Sometimes I still wonder if what I did was right… But, hey, I won't bring you down! You should enjoy your time with Ally… From what I understand Fuji's got something up her sleeve…"

"What?" Carmen choked.

"Yeah… I'm guessing you and Ally haven't heard yet, then… Crap…" Jigen said with a shudder, "I… I think I hear Ming calling me… Bye!"

"…Good bye…" Carmen said with a low voice as Jigen left her to sit alone on the bed in Ally's room.

Yukiko's Room:

"What was that?" Yukiko muttered as she looked toward the wall, where the noise had sounded from.

"If I wasn't mistaken, it was that Piña Colada song…." Ryo muttered, "Anyway, like I was saying…"

"Hey, Ryo-san, we've got an emergency!" Fuji announced, "I need you here, ASAP!"

"Sorry, Yuki… We'll finish up later…" Ryo said to her sister, rising from the desk and exiting with Fuji. In her stead, Toshiro walked in, holding his swords in one hand and his shirt in the other. Yukiko glared at him coldly a few moments, and then turned her attention back to a blank wall which possessed little more than furniture and a large poster of Al Capone.

"You don't have to give me the cold shoulder, you know… I came to apologize…" Toshiro said, throwing his swords upon the ground and sitting on the floor in front of her. He continued to speak as he pulled on his shirt, "Perhaps I was stalking… But I only wanted to make sure that you were all right! I don't think I deserved to be assaulted with a trash can lid, of all undignified things…"

"You deserved it… I never stalked you!" snapped Yukiko.

"You never stalked me when you thought I would notice…" Toshiro corrected, "But I did—And many times!"

Yukiko paused, "I was just protecting you…"

"What the hell do you think I was doing!?" Toshiro yelled in response, "Finally, a little clarity here!"

"Could we just forget it happened?" Yukiko said, rubbing her forehead.

"Yukiko… I just want to know why you're afraid of being anything more than a friend… You know I'd do anything for you, and you settle for people whose wives are in a comatose state or men who want to kill you… Please, for your own sake, if you find someone, make sure he's a decent person… I don't care if it's me… I'd love to have you as a girlfriend anytime, but above that, I want to see you happy… And if you're happy with someone else, I'll be happy for you… It won't be easy to watch, but I'll be happy… Just be wiser in your selection of companionship, I beg you… I have to go, now… Heiji informed me that Odori's trying to go to battle with a potted plant…"

He rose, and began to walk out of the room when he felt himself being held in place by something, or, someone, more rather. It was Yukiko, and she was keeping him in place by keeping a hand upon his shoulder. He looked downward in confusion, and she smiled.

"Listen, thanks…" Yukiko said with a smile, "It does mean a lot to know I've got a friend who cares about that crap…"

"It's no problem… After all, what are friends for?" Toshiro smirked. He closed the door, and leaned against it in the hallway, "Freakin' hell… My day can't possibly get much worse…"

"Oh, I'll bet it could, Toshiro…" Heiji said with a deep sigh, "I'll bet our days can get twenty times worse…"

"How? How in the freakin' hell could my Goddamn day get any damned worse than it is!? Odori's drunk, I'm depressed… How could it get worse, Heiji?"

"Fuji's having us pack our bags and head to Taiwan…" replied Heiji.

"And?"

"There's a martial arts convention in the same town we'll be staying in…"

"So?"

"There'll be guest judges there…"

"Where are you going with this, Heiji? Spit it out already!"

"Dad's been invited, and he's going… He's going to see his son, the six and a half foot red-head on the yellow Vespa with the American accent…."

"That's why Dori's drunk….Who the hell was I in a past life to deserve this?"

"Lupin the Second?" Heiji shrugged, "Well, you have fun visiting!"

"Why aren't you worried!?" Toshiro snapped.

"They _knew _I was going be a screw-up… Hey, wait, on second thought, maybe he won't be surprised at all!" Heiji said with a smirk, "And maybe while you're there, he'll forgive you for not being there when he needed you the most!"

"Heiji—" but it was too late. Heiji had slammed the door to his room, leaving Toshiro with even heavier thoughts than before, "Damn it, Heiji!" Toshiro growled, "That little bastard! I'm sure mom and dad will love to hear about some of your little exploits, too..."

"I heard that!" Heiji called, opening the door once more, "And for what it's worth, I think this'll help you out in a way…"

"What are you doing back here!?" Toshiro growled, "I don't want to talk to you right now!"

"There's a guy from the Rat Clan competing; I heard it on a web board… Supposedly this guy's a top assassin… And he claims to have some connection with the Ishikawa clan…."

"And what connection would that be?" Toshiro inquired with a snap. He watched as Heiji's expression hardened, and his younger brother closed his bedroom door, walked over to Toshiro, and whispered.

"Bad news is, Dad will be watching… Good news is, this guy claims to be the exact man who killed Julia…" said Heiji quietly. Toshiro's blood ran cold, and he stared at Heiji in disbelief, "Thought I'd let you know that, too, before you wanted to kill me anymore than you do… I don't hate you; you're just a disappointment as a big brother."

"I…"

"See you later, Toshiro…." Heiji said quietly with a seldom-heard solemn-ness, entering once again into his room, leaving Toshiro alone in the suddenly lonelier and darker hall.


	35. Keep your Eye on the Sparrow

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Lupin III… I do, however, have tons of Thanksgiving leftovers… Hopefully nothing will come to life to hunt me down in my space ship…

Que paso?

A happy belated Thanksgiving to the American readers out there…. And, speaking of giving, wait for something quite interesting, coming at around the New Year… Bwahahaha… Secret's going to be tighter-kept than my Beatles record collection, until then, though, so, sorry… Happy shopping, dear readers!! And by the way, readers of the Sniper stories I write on Fictionpress--Look for an update soon!

Chapter Thirty Five

A Little Bit Later: Keep Your Eye on the Sparrow

Fun Fact of Boredom: Notice how Fuji seems to stick 'chan', 'san', etc. at the end of everyone's names? It's because her dear old dad refers to Fujiko as 'Fujiko-chan' in the Japanese version of the show…

_'Help me if I can I'm feeling down,_

_And I do appreciate you being round,'_

—The Beatles, _'Help!'_

Taiwan:

"Um… Why are we in Taiwan if we're looking for a Hebrew artifact?" Leo inquired as he, Max and Jacob stepped out of the luggage return and into onto the Taiwanese streets, "I'm pretty good with math, and _I _don't even get this equation!"

"There's a martial arts tournament…" Max explained.

"Israeli martial arts are some of the deadliest on the planet, if not the most!" Jacob finished, "Max's mom was a pro at them! She taught my little sister, not to mention myself, how to fight…"

"Okay… But that still leaves out a lot to be accounted for…" Leo continued.

"Lupin read the article, and headed over to Taiwan… We're thinking that's because she tracked down the thief here…" Jacob replied.

"Article?" Leo stopped dead, and cocked his head to a side, "What article? Max, what article?"

"Um…. I left out that part, huh?" Max scratched the back of his head, and looked back innocently at the dumbstruck LeBlanc, "We planted a dummy article in the Chicago Tribune, and, um… She read it, and did the research, and…"

"So glad I knew about it," Leo snipped, and broke into an angered stride down the street, "Taxi!"

"Oh, boy… I hope I didn't cause a rift in between you and the Little Missus…" Jacob said worriedly to Max.

"He'll be okay… He just gets like this sometimes…" Max sighed heavily, "Come on, let's go…"

"Aye-aye, Captain," Jacob smirked and saluted, and both followed Leo into the cab he had managed to acquire by waving a few American bills.

An Upscale Hotel, Taiwan:

"I think I just saw him!" Toshiro gulped, peeking from the side and then hiding once again behind the hotel wall.

"That's a woman…" Yukiko sighed, "Come on, you'll be okay… How bad could it be? We'll go up to the hotel rooms, okay? Fuji wanted to talk to us, anyway…"

The two walked upstairs, into the women's room, and neither recognized Heiji at first—Mainly because he had been dressed in red, a high-collared, Chinese style dress.

"Apparently our guy goes for big girls, so Heiji-chan volunteered!" Fuji explained with a smile as she and Ryo continued to adjust Heiji's call-girl outfit. Odori stepped out from the bathroom, dressed in a peasant's outfit, complete with a straw hat covering her eyes. Her normally high-placed hair had been done in a braid, and it was obvious that she had been made to look like a man.

"I'm the rickshaw driver," she explained. Yukiko and Toshiro, still both in shock from Heiji's appearance, nodded numbly.

"Hey, Dori, nice facial hair," Heiji quipped, "I'm only doing this so Fuji'll pick me up a copy of _Halo 2._" He explained to Yukiko and Toshiro.

"At least I didn't have to have my legs waxed," Odori smirked. Heiji shuddered in response, and Ally, who had been cleaning his gun from a corner, simply looked up and glared, and polished the gun more roughly than before. Heiji took a red fan, and approached Ally, and unfurled the fan, letting it hide his nose and mouth.

"Oh, I see some of us aren't happy… Well, don't worry, that's what I'm here for!" Heiji giggled girlishly.

"Don't make me blow your damn head off, Heiji… I'd hate for it to stain my shirt…" Ally said darkly.

"You're still sad about leaving Carmen?" Heiji asked, folding the fan and holding it in his right hand.

"I didn't leave her… I was forced away…" Ally responded darkly, leering at Fuji and then going back to his gun.

"Well, I can't be with my true love very often, either, Ally," Fuji said with a sigh.

"Who's that?" Heiji asked a little too quickly to fall under the radar of suspicion. Ryo raised an eyebrow, but allowed the conversation to continue without her interjecting.

"Jude Law…" Fuji said with a smile.

"Jeeze… I'm going to go work outside… The light's too dim in here…" Ally said with a grumble, opening the wooden doors to the balcony and then closing them.

"All right… And now for our last player! Yuki, you may want to leave the room," Fuji said with a wink.

"Huh? Why's that?" Yukiko inquired.

"Who better to get a full view of the place than an actor? And fortunately, since it's an International thing, there's a group of kabuki actors—Portraying the story of Ishikawa Goemon, appropriately enough… You'll be playing Goemon, Toshiro…"

"That's a stretch," Ryo snorted.

"Wait, I didn't agree to anything!" Toshiro sputtered.

"Dori, let's get a head start," Heiji nodded towards the door, "Pick up my purse, would you, kind servant?"

"Yeah, I'll pick it up, and shove it right up—"

"Nah-ah… Nice to the escort…" Heiji said with a wink. Odori mumbled curses under her breath while both exited the hotel room, leaving Toshiro, Fuji, Ryo and Yukiko.

"Okay, now…Here's the outfit… Lifted it from an actor who had an unfortunate accident with an elevator…" Fuji said with a small chuckle as she lifted up the white kimono top for Toshiro to see.

"Here, I'll help you…" Yukiko sighed, taking the costume in her hands, "I used to play dress-up with my mom, and she had some outfits like these… You two leave—Especially you, Fuji, for the simple fact that you're a damn pervert!"

"I prefer the term 'connoisseur of the finer things in life'," Fuji replied with a smile and a laugh much like her father's, "Let's get going, Ryo-san… I want to go find the best hotspots to celebrate at when we get that scroll!"

"She's got a one-track mind, but you can never say that she isn't focused," Ryo said to herself, walking out of the room with Fuji.

"Okay, outfit first, then makeup," said Yukiko, "Come on, I haven't got all day, you know…"

"You want me to undress, but you throw a damn hissy-fit when I see you in your bra," Toshiro said to himself as he prepared to put on the more complex Kabuki outfit.

"Hey, there's a double standard for everything," Yukiko smirked, lifting up the white gi from the bed and passing it to Toshiro.

"Is that why you dress like a man? So no one'll use that on you?" Toshiro inquired. He shuddered as Yukiko pulled the sash about the gi too tight and too quickly, and Yukiko smirked slyly in response.

"Okay, now for the top…" Yukiko said, lifting up a black top, and helping Toshiro into it. Then came several other articles of clothing, and after that came nails and makeup. Both sat down at the table as Yukiko applied the long nails, whistling as she carefully did so.

"I hate these things…" Toshiro said, looking down at the nails and tapping a few dry ones against the table top.

"At least you've never shot a gun with these things…" Yukiko chuckled, "Jeeze, what a screw-up that was… I nearly shot Lupin! There, done… Now for the makeup…" she added, opening a wooden box and beginning with a white base for the face after cleaning it, "Now don't talk or anything, okay? Going to pretty you up… Maybe you could bring home a nice little actress for your parents… Wouldn't they love that, eh? One of those cute little girls who look like dolls… Boy, the more and more makeup I put on you, the more you look like a doll…"

The rest of the application continued in silence, and Yukiko smiled at her handiwork as she took a step back, "Beautiful!"

"Now just the wig… I now remember why I rarely dressed up in full kabuki… It's tedious and hot…" Toshiro said as he rose, and Yukiko went to add the wig. She grabbed a small trash can, and stood atop it to become eye level with him.

"Crap, how do you manage with hair this thick?" Yukiko wondered out loud through a mouth full of clips. She went to add another, but Toshiro jerked away from the pain of her digging it in to sharply, and Yukiko lost her balance. He fell back onto the bed behind him, and Yukiko landed heavily on top of him, the clips from her mouth scattering as she did so. From outside, Ally heard a noise, and went to investigate.

"Sorry!" Toshiro said, "Are you okay?"

"Um… Yeah…" Yukiko nodded and answered with a whisper. She looked him in the eyes for a few moments, and began to draw her face closer to his when Ally opened the door to the balcony.

"You son of a bitch! You caught me on the wrong day! I'm going to make sure that there isn't a 15th generation of you creeps!" Ally snapped, drawing his gun.

"Ally, watch it! It was nothing! I just fell!" Yukiko said, holding up her hands in defense. She climbed off of the bed, and Toshiro sat upright while she finished applying the jet-black wig, "There you go! Great! Well, good luck, Toshiro!"

"Uh, yeah… Thanks…" Toshiro nodded quickly, and left the room in a hurry as he saw Ally still with his gun drawn.

"You need to get off of his ass, and you need to do it now," said Yukiko firmly, "Toshiro's my best friend, and I know you're only looking out for me, but I have someone to do that for me—Me! Thanks, Ally, but no thanks!"

"Yukiko, I'm…"

"I'm going to go grab a drink… You do whatever you need to do, okay?" Yukiko said with obvious frustration, storming out of the hotel room.

Ally sighed, "Sorry… Just trying to help… Guess they really don't need me here, after all…"

A Taiwanese Restaurant:

"I know you don't like going out in public much anymore, but this place is lovely… I read all about it in a magazine," Amaya said quietly as she walked in with an ever-solemn Goemon, "Now remember—No beef, no pork…"

"Doctors… They allowed me to live, but what I wonder sometimes what good life is when you can't eat sukiyaki and drink sake…" Goemon sighed as he seated himself on the floor of the restaurant and looked ahead at the stage, "Well, at least it's more controlled here…"

"More?" Amaya laughed, "It's less, I would imagine… The house is run like the Japanese army!"

"Hrm… Yes, there always seems to be a battle of some sort going on," Goemon quipped. Amaya sighed good-humoredly, and allowed Goemon to order from the waitress. She then ordered, and passed back the menus to the waitress. Amaya frowned as she noticed her husband's look follow the attractive waitress to the doors of the kitchen.

"Ahem," she coughed, and Goemon snapped to attention, "So, what do you think of Taiwan so far?"

"No one's tried to kill me yet, so I suppose it's nice…" Goemon responded, taking a sip of the complimentary water.

"Oh, look, there's a show starting! It's kabuki!" Amaya said with delight, "There are the actors! My, he's tall, isn't he? The lead, I mean…"

"…Yes," Goemon nodded, taking another sip of the water and nearly choking as he heard the title of the performance… He had known the Ishikawa Goemon's legend had been popular, but he had had no idea of the chances.

Both he and Amaya watched as the performance started, and Goemon gritted his teeth as he heard the chuckling of an overweight call girl, who seemed to be paying close attention to a man that looked to be of Israeli heritage. The call girl looked upward at Goemon briefly, and she stopped dead a few moments before throwing out her fan and partially covering her face with it. Goemon shuddered as she smiled at him, and quickly turned back to Amaya.

"Goemon, what's wrong?" Amaya asked.

"I just had a call-girl look at me…" Goemon replied.

"So? I thought you liked it when that happened!"

"Er, usually… But she's quite… Well, I think she's one of those who usually resides in dimly-lit bars, in the inner-city districts…" Goemon answered with another shudder. Both he and Amaya came to attention as the lead actor began his role, and Goemon noted that they had found an extremely good Ishikawa Goemon… He even looked the part!

Goemon then switched his gaze to a peasant watching from the corner, dressed in a purple high-collared top and pants, along with a straw hat to cover his eyes. He then noticed the sword at his side… It looked like… But it couldn't have been…

"Something's wrong," Goemon whispered to Amaya.

Amaya sighed, "Are the statues coming to life again? If so, then that's just your medication acting up, Dear…"

"No! There's something very suspicious going on here…." Goemon whispered.

"Please enjoy the show, Goemon…"

"But—"

"_Please?"_ Amaya begged. Goemon sighed, and returned to watching the performance. The lead actor, the unusually tall one, let out another call, and then the songs continued on from there. The doors at the front of the restaurant opened suddenly, and Goemon and Amaya both blinked in surprise and disbelief. It was Leo, Max and another person whom they did not recognize.

"Toshiro, Heiji, Odori Ishikawa—You're all under arrest!" Max yelled.

"Oh, crap!" Goemon heard, and then watched as the peasant jumped over a both seat, jumped off of a table, and drew out 'his' sword.

"Zantetsuken… That must mean that that's…" Amaya started.

"…Odori…" Goemon completed, taking another sip of his water. He watched as she tossed the hat aside, and drew her sword out. Max went to handcuff her, but she quickly cut a curtain hanging from the wall down, allowing the thick curtain to fall upon Max. Leo, meanwhile, had gone to the back entrance, where he knew Heiji would exit.

"Let me out of here!" the chunky call-girl begged Leo, "Please! It's the only opportunity I'll have to leave my boyfriend! He's keeping me against my will!"

"I…"

"Please, please help me! What are you, an emotionless monster!?" she cried.

"Um, don't worry, Ma'am, right this way!" Leo said with a worried stutter.

The call girl smiled, and said to herself, "Thanks, Officer… How shall I ever repay you? Hee hee hee…"

In the front of the restaurant, Max and Odori were still fighting, and Jacob was nowhere to be seen. Toshiro had found something which caused his blood to run cold—A Japanese man wearing the crest of the Rat Clan. Toshiro pursued the man through the crowds of screaming people, but lost sight of him when a police cruiser crashed into the front of the restaurant. Behind the wheel was the call girl, and in the back seat was Leo LeBlanc, knocked out cold from a blow to the back of the head. Max stopped dead, and Odori took this opportunity to run.

"You're under arrest!" Max yelled, pointing to the call-girl.

"I'll bet that's what you say to all of the girls, Zenigata!" Heiji laughed from behind the wheel in his regular, masculine voice.

"Heiji!" Goemon and Amaya gasped in unison. They continued to watch the fighting continue until finally the elder Ishikawas had had enough.

"Everyone, STOP!" Amaya screamed at the top of her lungs. Odori, Heiji, Toshiro and Max all stopped dead. Jacob also worked his way out of the rubble at this point, and watched the scene unfold from a distance.

"You, here!" Amaya shouted to Odori, "Heiji, out of the car and over here! Toshiro, you over here! And Max, you here!"

"But, Amaya—" Max started.

"Now, before I tell Dad!" Amaya yelled.

The four lined up in front of Goemon and Amaya, and Goemon choked as he realized that the tall kabuki actor was none other than his own son.

"What's going on?" Amaya asked.

"Well, they're breaking the law again!" Max shouted, pointing to the other three accusingly.

"We're on a mission of mercy!" snapped Odori.

"You don't know the meaning of mercy!" Max countered.

"At least she can read!" Heiji returned.

"Stop!" Amaya called, and the three returned to silence, "Max, you get your partner and go home… Now… I'll deal with them… And call your parents; they're worried about you…"

"That's a little hard," Goemon reminded Amaya, "Natasha's here, too… And if she's here, you know Zenigata is…"

"My parents are here!?" Max yelped, and immediately paled, "I… I'll arrest you all later…" he sputtered, nervously backing into the car. Jacob was already in, and trying to revive Leo. The three zoomed off, back towards the hotel, Max's mind racing.

"Okay, let's go through this one person at a time… Toshiro, you explain what's going on," Amaya said with her usual calmness.

"Yeah, why don't you tell them, Toshiro?" Heiji said with a wicked smile.

"An' why don't you shut th' freakin' hell up!?" is what Goemon and Amaya heard come from Toshiro's mouth, "You're as much ta' blame for dis damn screw-up as th' next person!"

"Oh my," Amaya said under her breath.

Toshiro looked upward at his father, but saw no expression whatsoever come across Goemon's face. This scared him to no extent… His father was scarier when he was emotionless, "Dad, I'm sorry… I—I didn't want you to know… Um, well, I guess there's something else, then… Well, there's a few things I have to tell you, but I think we should start with this one…" He slowly undid his wig, and shook his head a few times, letting his hair fall back to his normal look.

Goemon's eyebrows slightly raised, but he otherwise remained as he was.

"I'm… I'm an actor, Dad… I, um… I work on Broadway… I raise pigeons at home… I use the whole roof of my apartment complex to house them and feed them… I've been doing it for years…" Toshiro started, "It's a beautiful view…"

Goemon shook his head, and turned away from Toshiro, "Amaya, come on…"

"Dad, wait… I didn't want you to be upset with me!"

Goemon turned about, and walked back over to Toshiro, and held out his hand. Toshiro cringed, prepared for Goemon to perhaps strike him, but he was more than surprised when the elder samurai reached upward and examined Toshiro's red hair, "This is Ming's color…"

"Huh!?" Odori and Heiji both gaped in surprise.

Goemon took a step back, and glanced across at his three oldest children. He approached Odori, next, and took Zantetsuken from her hands. She immediately fell to the ground, and bowed deeply, "I know I have dishonored the blade and for that I am sorry, Father!"

"You kept it in better condition than I did…" Goemon admitted as he looked at his reflection in the blade, "You sharpened this recently, didn't you?"

"Um, yes…" Odori rose, and nodded, "I, I refurbished the handle, as well…"

"I can tell; it's superb…" he said, swinging it about a few times, "It feels almost like it's no longer mine… All of the power within it seems to be yours… I suppose this should make it a little more than a loan, shouldn't it?"

"You're giving the sword to me?" Odori choked, and blinked a few times in surprise. She let go of her samurai restraint for a few moments, and let out a long yell of joy, "Yes! I can't belief—Th-Thank you so much!" she reached for her father, and embraced him with a surprising strength. She then regained her composure, cleared her throat, and wiped her eyes, still smiling happily.

Goemon next approached Heiji, who wore a nervous look upon his face. Heiji watched, in shock and fear (mostly fear) as his father's serious expression lightened, and Goemon began to laugh loudly, eventually leaning on Heiji for support.

"You're one of the worst hookers I've ever seen!" Goemon said through a laughter which Heiji soon joined him in, albeit uneasily. Heiji shifted uneasy glances with his siblings and mother as his father continued with his laughter. Goemon's laughter finally died down, and he smiled as he rejoined Amaya, "The cops are probably on their way… You may want to get out of here… Amaya and I shall see you all later… Perhaps you will see the competition…"

"I'm competing!" Toshiro called to his father.

"What!?" Odori and Heiji yelped.

"You damn idiot!" Odori snapped.

Goemon paused, "Good… I shall see you there, then… But keep in mind that it's a no-weapons competition…."

Toshiro nodded, "I'm aware of that… Good-bye, Dad… Or, as they say in New York, 'See ya' around, ya old S.O.B.'!" Goemon frowned and turned his head in confusion, and Amaya took him by the arm, and led him out to the car.

"You just called Dad old and got away with it…" Heiji blinked.

"He gave me Zantetsuken!" Odori squealed, latching onto Heiji and Toshiro and embracing both tightly, "Ah! I can't believe it!"

"Dori, choking!" Heiji gasped.

"Leggo!" Toshiro coughed. Odori nodded, and backed away from both, but continued to smile as she looked downward at her sword proudly.

"I'm very glad about your sword, Odori, but I have bigger troubles on my hands… I can't fight hand-to-hand combat, but I've got to get even with that man somehow…." Toshiro said worriedly.

"Well, there is someone who could teach you…" said Heiji with thought.

"Oh, no! No, no, no! No way would he teach me! No way would I want to learn from him!" Toshiro replied, waving his arms in defense.

Later, at the Hotel:

"You want me, to teach you!?" Ally laughed wildly, "When did you start thinking that I liked you!? I friggin' hate your guts!"

"You'd be doing me a great favor… And trust me, it's not easy to stand here begging for your help… I like you about as much as you like me, Ally…" Toshiro said through gritted teeth, "But place yourself in my position for five seconds, at least… If it were for Carmen, you'd do it…"

"But it isn't…" Ally shook his head, and rose. Ally caught a glimpse of Toshiro's reflection in a mirror as he passed to walk towards the balcony. Toshiro looked absolutely desperate… He was Yukiko's best friend, whether he liked to admit it or not…

"I'm gonna hate myself in the morning for this…" Ally said to himself, shaking his head. He turned around to face Toshiro, "Fine, I'll help…"

"You will!? Ally, thanks, I—"

"I'm only doing this because my sister likes you…" Ally grumbled, "Don't you go start thinking I like you too all of a sudden… Because I don't… We start in the park, tomorrow morning…"

Another hotel, another side of town:

"How'd you get this place, Jake? It's fantastic!" Max said with disbelief as he gaped at the high-class designs and features of the hotel. Leo rolled his eyes, and shook his head with disgust.

"I have sources, Zenigata…" Jake replied with a small laugh, "What, Interpol never sends you guys to these sorts of places?"

"We usually get stuck in those hotels that they let you sneak out of in the middle of the night so you don't have to pay your hotel bill…" Max responded sheepishly.

"Well, this is a primo place… And I'll pay, okay?"

"Actually, that's against poli—" Leo began.

"Hey, don't fret! It's my treat, okay? We can just keep it off of the books…" Jake said reassuringly as he took their hotel keys from the man at desk and then rose to the fifth floor in an elevator with Max and Leo. Leo immediately went to unpacking his luggage and taking out the complimentary ironing board while Max looked about the hotel in awe.

"How did you…? Wow…" Max said with a shake of the head.

Max felt a firm grip upon his shoulder, and looked to his left to see Jake smiling back at him, "Anything for Sushi Boy…"

"If they start making out, I am _so _hitting the pool…" Leo grumbled as he continued to struggle with the ironing board.

"Hey, are you having some trouble with that?" Jake inquired, walking over to Leo, who now had the ironing board on its back. Leo continually tried to get the ironing board to stick, but found it was no use, and he continued to fall atop it, "Um, here, let me…" Jake leaned down, and stuck the legs in place, and then propped the ironing board up on its legs.

"Thanks…" Leo said quietly, rising from the ground. He spoke to himself as he reached in his suitcase and pulled out a handful of yellow ties, and lined them up on the ironing board, "I would've eventually gotten it… I can do something simple, like work an ironing board…. What do I look like, an idiot?"

"Um… Does he always talk to himself?" Jake inquired as both he and Max watched Leo slam things about in the hotel room.

"No, just too much to be considered healthy…" responded a worried Max, "Um, we're going to go grab something to eat… You want to come, Leo?"

"No, thanks… I've got a lot of work to do out here…" Leo replied, "I still have to translate some documents…"

"Do you want a doggie bag, then?" Jake asked politely.

"No, I'm fine… You two have a good time, though…" Leo said. Jake numbly nodded, and walked out of the hotel room quickly. Max approached Leo, and leaned upward (for Leo was about four inches taller than Zenigata).

"You know, I could've sworn you would've wanted the doggie bag…" said Max.

"And why's that?" asked Leo placidly.

"Because right now you're acting like a complete bitch," Max snapped. Leo blinked a few times, stunned, and glared icily at Zenigata, giving Max what was possibly the coldest look he had ever given anyone. Max walked out of the hotel room, closing the door behind him, and not too soon. Moments later, Max heard a large slam against the door that he did not seem to recognize as being Leo's suitcase.

Leo, meanwhile, on the other side of the door, was still fuming, muttering under his breath in different foreign languages. He stopped dead as he heard a laugh, and looked to the open window, where his sister sat.

"I haven't seen you this jealous in years!" Fuji laughed hysterically, "It's adorable! So, no more _Hakuna__ Matata_, Timon? Looks like someone's moving in on your boy…"

"His name's Jacob, and he's fishy…" Leo responded as he found the iron in the closet and ventured into the bathroom to fill it with water.

"You think he's using Zenigata?" Fuji asked.

"Think? I'm near damn positive…" Leo responded as he plugged the iron into a socket in the wall and adjusting it to the proper setting, "I've seen Mom use Dad enough over the years to know that that guy's up to something…"

"So, Max is gay, eh?"

"No, bi…"

"I could only imagine your surprise…" Fuji chuckled.

"Tell me about it… And as many times as I've let him walk into the bathroom while I was in the shower!" said Leo with a shake of the head as he began to iron his ties.

"Hey, Bub, you aren't bad looking, but you aren't any prize-winner, either… Do go off and flatter yourself…"

"I'll pass that along to Dad, considering how I look just like him…"

"I know! You've got that Clark Kent thing going on with those reading glasses of yours… I thought only idiots fell for that old trick…" Fuji chuckled, nearly falling back out of the window with her laughter.

"Trust me, they do," Leo replied, "That includes idiots like Zenigata… It's disgusting… This guy has a cute little nickname for Max and everything!"

"So? I have a nickname for Blondie!"

"But you say it mockingly… He says this with affection…."

"What's the name?"

"Sushi-boy… Don't ask me to explain how that came about! It's a long story that I really don't want to tell!"

"Don't worry; I'm afraid to."

"Thank God… All he's been doing since we got here is acting like a little schoolgirl…. It's like reading a stupid little shonen-ai manga! And, yes, I am referring to the time you scattered boy-on-boyrrfic comic books all across my room so dad could find them…"

"You have to admit, the look on his face was priceless…" Fuji laughed.

"He bought me a hooker!"

"And?"

"I was sixteen!" Leo shouted, "I swear, he's the reason I can never talk to women… He was flashing them at me for years… Goemon accepted long ago that Heiji isn't a traditional Japanese samurai, why can't Dad accept that I'm not a pervert!?"

"So, what do you want to know about this Jake guy?" Fuji inquired slyly.

Leo looked upward, and removed his reading glasses, "What's your price?"

"You go to Mommy and Daddy's for Christmas…"

"Christ! For the last time, they won't want me there, and it'll be awkward!" Leo moaned, "The last thing I want to do is sit down with a bunch of people I want to arrest, watch Dad, Jigen and Goemon get drunk, play poker and begin to talk about the glory days… They get more depressing each year!"

"Tell me about it… Wait 'til Ryo-san finds out who you're seeing… I'll have to peel her off of the roof!"

"We _aren't_ seeing one another!" Leo snapped.

"Oh, defensive, still, I see!" Fuji chuckled, "Well, I'll find what I can… But you owe me one, all right?"

"Sure, sure! Just go, okay? There's a draft in here!" snapped Leo with annoyance, walking towards the window.

"I'm going, okay?" Fuji leaned inward, and embraced him, "I miss you so much, Ari! I wish you'd come home already! You know you can't keep up a double life for long!"

"I know, Sis… Now, if you don't mind, I'll take my wallet back," said Leo with a smirk, holding out his hand.

"Aw, can't get a thing past you!" Fuji chuckled, tossing him back his wallet and smiling brightly, "So, are you going to finish up your laundry?"

"Yeah, and if you don't hurry, I'm going to stuff you in a suitcase and mail you to Interpol…" Leo retorted. Fuji chuckled, and disappeared via a grappling hook which she had thrown up onto the roof. She caught the grappling hook, and smiled as she rewound it from its compartment in her belt.

Her calmness was short-lived. Fuji stopped as she heard a rustling, and she quickly drew her Walther from its holster as she heard a noise from behind her. A solemn Asian man stood in her presence, wearing a black ninja outfit which bore the unmistakable crest of the Rat Clan.

"I understand one of your men wishes to fight me?" he said with a smirk.

"Yeah… Why, though?" Fuji inquired, "What's your story, Mr. Rat?"

"Goemon Ishikawa XIV…. I remember his home well… I also remember what the screams of his lover sounded like when I killed her…" he said with a small chuckle, "She tried to bargain with me… Do you believe that?"

"You bastard," Fuji gasped.

"No, that would be the term to describe the child which she was carrying at the time," the Rat Clan member answered, "Now I'm going to finish off the job with 'Toshiro', as you all call him… I'm not one to sit back and let a job of a life time be left unfinished… I want Ishikawa to suffer…"

"Why?" Fuji asked with a goofy smirk, "I mean, what did he do to you, eat one of your rats or something?"

"He's a dishonor to the Clan! He's the bastard child of a disgraceful samurai…" the Rat Clan member explained, "I won't rest until the dishonor to the Rat Clan has been taken care of… Tell him that I look forward to his fight…"

"Don't worry, I will," Fuji nodded, sheathing her gun and watching as the ninja disappeared into the night, "Holy crap, how do I get into these types of situations!?" Fuji moaned out loud with wonder as she looked upward at the clear, blackened night, "That's right… I work with idiots… That's why… I need to find a new team or something…. I wonder if the union could send me over some different gang members… Wait, union? What the hell am I talking about? Well, I shouldn't be saying anything… Ally wants to leave, and I'm only going to be with these guys a month or so more… But how the hell am I going to tell them? Boy oh boy what a bind I've gotten myself into! Hm… It's Friday, so I wonder if Yuki-chan and Toshi-chan went to go get something to drink… Hey, if they haven't, maybe I can come! No, damn, I promised Ari… I swear, the things I do for people sometimes! You would think that they'd make me a saint already!"

She grumbled, shook her head, and located the parking lot of the hotel, "Well, they probably went out that exit," she said to herself as she hopped in a new green Volkswagen Beetle which she picked up in Chicago, "And they probably went somewhere classy…. If this guy is trying to butter up Zenigata, that is… Now, he's an American, so he'll probably want some familiar food… But didn't he have a nickname for Blondie that involved food? What was it…? Sushi boy! Oh, crap, I know where they are!" she laughed triumphantly, "I did it by my-self, without dependency on Ryoko or Hei-ji!" she sang to herself cheerily, swerving in and out of traffic, paying no attention to the horns being honked in her direction.

"I guess Ryo-san's wrong; I do have more than sex and Prada on my mind!" Fuji said with a chuckle, "Though, personally, I wouldn't mind a surplus of either right now… Save that for later, Fujiko… Right now, you've got more important things on your mind…" She looked to her right at the red light, and saw an attractive Taiwanese man smiling back at her from his car.

"Nah, that's a cheap car… Cheap car equals cheap date, as mom always said…" Fuji said reassuringly as she resumed driving. She drove down to a high-scale Oriental restaurant, and parked her car about a block away, "Wow… I wonder what _Zagat's_had to say about them…" she muttered as she put on her disguise and exited as a blonde woman.

"One, please," she said to the man at the podium out front. The man refused at first, but then led her in personally when she laid down two thousand American dollars.

"I can't believe he settled for my pocket change…" said Fuji to herself in awe as she sat in a seat close to Max and Jake. She could not hear what they said, but was able to read their lips and expressions well enough to understand their conversation, "God, I so don't care what kind of mileage your police cruiser gets, Max… I'm sure he doesn't care, either…" she said to herself, "And now you're talking about antiquing… No wonder you have to swing both ways, Zenigata… As pathetic as you are, you can't limit yourself to a single gender… You've got to take what you're given!"

"Um, Ma'am, may I take your order?" asked the waiter.

"Um… Diet Cola and whatever the special is…" Fuji responded, "Unless it's octopus! Then cook it with squid!"

"Yes, Ma'am… Right away," the waiter nodded, and exiting, leaving Fuji back to her spying.

"God almighty this is boring… I have more joy in hearing Heiji talk about computer crap!" Fuji said to herself. But, then, suddenly, the conversation took an interesting turn, and Fuji's eyebrows raised in surprise, "Woah, Jake… Comin' on a little strong there, Buddy… First date, and already there's a proposition? No way Zenigata would ever—What!? Yes! You damn moron, what's wrong with you!?" she realized she had said this last sentence a little too loudly, and scooted down in her seat as she felt the eyes of the other diners upon her, "Hee hee… No need to worry, Folks, it's just my other personality! No need to worry!" she reassured the diners, "Now, Cybil, I told you to be quiet… No… Yes, now, shush, these people are trying to eat, here… Hee hee…" She gave a nervous smile, and all returned to their meals quickly enough.

She watched as Max and Jake left the restaurant, and threw some money down upon the table. She then hopped in her car, and stayed a few cars distance away from the two as they continued to drive, Jake in the driver's seat this time.

"I can't let this happen…The little voice that tells me to do all of that good crap won't let me…" she said, pulling out in front of the two. Jake slammed on the brakes, and Fuji pulled off her mask, and smiled, "Hey, Blondie, out on the town?"

"Lupin!" Max growled.

"The one and only… Well, not really, but, hey, who's counting?" she chuckled, speeding off into the night. Max took the wheel of the car, and pursued her down the streets until finally losing her in heavy traffic.

"Ari, I've come through for you….. You better come through for me..." said Fuji in a grumble as she watched the police cruiser zoom past the little alley way she had ducked into.


	36. Brother, Brother

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Lupin III, and I'm doubting ownership of my own sanity right now.

Hi, remember me?

Sorry about the long, long wait, but I have had a hell of a month… I mean a HELL of a month…. Anyway, I'll spare the details, but let's just say I thank God that I have the free time I do now to finish everything up. Thanks to all of the reviews and support—Trust me, it really brings a little ray of sunshine into my life. Anyway, please enjoy the following chapter, and sorry about the wait!

Chapter Thirty Six

A Short Period After Fuji's Great Escape: Brother, Brother

Fun Fact of Boredom: There's only one character in the trilogy who's been in every chapter—Yukiko Jigen.

_'You say yes,_

_I say no,_

_You say stop,_

_But I say no, no, no'_

—The Beatles, _'Hello Goodbye'_

"He tried to WHAT?!" Leo shrieked.

"Yeah-huh… And I stopped them… Aren't you proud of me? All by myself, too… And I didn't even break a nail!" Fuji said with a chuckle, showing Leo one of her hands in pantomime, "No Ryo, no Heiji…"

"Jeeze, I can't believe you actually pulled off something without the left and right halves of your brain…" Leo muttered in disbelief.

"Ha ha…. And yet quite true… So, I suppose I'll be taking my payment now?"

"I told you I don't want to!"

"You go, or I tell Blondie you've got a huge crush on him… I'll write out love letters, and you know I can forge your handwriting…."

"Yeah; I remember the love letter 'I' sent to Goemon…" Leo said with annoyance.

"It was either you of Yukiko, and she was off in Russia with her family, shooting up a bunch of crap, as usual," said Fuji with a shrug, "The old man still kinda avoids you, doesn't he?"

"Considering you even put perfume on the note, I can't blame him," Leo replied, "I'll see what I can do… Now get out of my window before I smash in your pretty little fingers… And you know I'd do that…"

"Yeah, you've done that before…. I also recall you slamming my skirt into a window just to get back at me," Fuji said darkly as Leo approached the window. The door of the hotel room began to open, and Leo quickly shut the window. Fuji, unprepared for the quick slamming of the window, went flying off of the sill, and was only saved from falling to her doom at five stories by quickly gaining control of her grabbling hook.

"That little jerk…. Ah, well, I still love him," Fuji said as she rolled up her grappling hook, "Why I still bother with him still sometimes, though, I'll never really know…" She continued to mutter to herself as she strolled back to her car and hopped in, "Okay, someone's going to go home and spoil herself on Haagan Das… Just because she's been such a damn saint to certain ingrates… But, no matter…. He's going to that Christmas gathering, even if I have to steal him to get him there…"

The Next Morning:

"How's Toshiro's training going?" Ryo inquired as she sat herself next to Yukiko upon a park bench, where Jigen had been watching the two train for some time.

Both watched as Toshiro went flying through the air, and into a patch of shrubbery.

"Ally's handing his ass to him… And loving it…" Yukiko replied in a monotone voice.

"C'mon at me again!" Ally ordered, waving Toshiro over and smiling.

"It's good to see the boys bonding…" said Ryo as Toshiro went flying across the opened park area once again.

"Heh, he's gonna get killed," said Ally a he walked over to his sisters and wiped a bit of blood away from the corner of his mouth.

"Hey, Toshiro, if you get one clean hit, Yukiko will unbutton her shirt!" Ryo shouted.

"What!? I will not!" Yukiko snapped, flushing.

"He probably wouldn't see anything, anyway," Ryo replied with a small chuckle.

"At least I'm not the one who had the afro when she was little!"

"It wasn't an afro… My hair was just puffy!" snapped Ryo in response.

"I'll go out with you if you win, how about that, Toshiro?" Yukiko suggested as the samurai struggled to rise and hobbled out of the bushes.

"You mean that?" Toshiro asked, "Because I could be hearing things… I thought I heard Fuji laughing a little while ago…"

"That's because that is Fuji laughing…" Ryo replied, raising an eyebrow as Fuji waved goodbye to a duo of Taiwanese boys and strode over to the others in the park.

"I heard you all were going to be here, so here I am!" said Fuji happily.

"And where were you all night, young missy?" asked Ryo.

"Running an errand," Fuji replied, sticking out her tongue, "For your dear little love…"

"Ari?" Ryo gasped, "What'd he need?"

"Me to stalk Zeni-chan and his boyfriend," replied Fuji.

"Boyfriend?" Yukiko recoiled.

"Yeah, turns out Zenigata swings like a pendulum…" replied Fuji faintly, "And Leo thinks this guy's nothing but trouble… Trouble that's kind of cute, but all the same, trouble! I wish I could get trouble like that guy sometime… But noooo…. It's always someone wanting to decapitate me or hang me or something… It' just not fair!"

"Well, what'd you find out about him?" asked Ryo.

Fuji perked up, and smiled widely, "He's not afraid to ask for a homerun on the first date!"

"Um… Maybe we should get back to work…" said Toshiro to Ally.

"Agreed," Ally nodded, and delivered a swift kick to the back of Toshiro's head. Toshiro growled, and began to pursue Ally, who proved too agile for him.

"How'd you find that out, Fuji?" Ryo inquired, "Fujiko Lupin, look at me… How'd you find that out?"

"I… Watched them from a place in the restaurant they were in…" Fuji replied innocently.

"Since when have you helped out Ari?" Yukiko asked.

"Since I'm blackmailing him into spending Christmas with us!" Fuji replied.

"Great… The whole gang… Us… Ari…. Max… I'm gonna go hit a bar…" Yukiko said, shaking her head tiredly.

"It's not even ten!" Ryo gaped.

Yukiko turned to her sister, and smiled, "Well, my watch is dead, and it's set on five 'o clock… So it's always five in the evening somewhere for me!"

"She makes my head hurt, sometimes," Ryo mumbled, rising and joining her sister, "I'm going with you, but I'm sticking to martinis… I don't do hard liquor before noon… It's tacky…"

"I'm staying here… I like to watch…" Fuji said with a wink. Yukiko moaned and covered her face with a hand, and Ryo shook her head and walked off with Yukiko to the nearest bar. Fuji failed to notice Heiji approaching as she watched, and failed to notice his presence until he seated himself next to her.

"Heiji-chan! I thought you hated sunlight!" Fuji gasped with delight.

"Yeah… A lot… But you looked lonely, and my files are taking forever to download…" Heiji replied with a shrug, "Plus, I make sure to venture out into the real world by my own will at least once a year… Watching them go at it?"

"Yeah-huh!" Fuji said with a wide smile, "This is one of the rewards of working in groups, I guess…."

"Eh, yeah… Sure… Watching Ally beat the crap out of my brother and—Wait, that is kinda cool…" Heiji chuckled with admittance.

"Yeah, but he's doing it for a good cause…" Fuji admitted, "I can't help but wonder what it's like sometimes… Not to be, a, a…. What are the words I'm looking for?"

"Selfish bitch?"

"Yeah! That's it!" Fuji said, snapping her fingers and smiling, "Can't help but wonder… Then I read the paper and see something really cool I want to steal and everything that was depressing me is out the window! On a lighter note… How's what's-her-name?"

"Veronica? Oh, we decided to keep it at just friends," Heiji said with a shrug, "She wasn't ready for a relationship…"

"Oh, I'm sorry! Hey, there all always more computer-geeks in the sea, Heiji!"

"….Thanks…. I just always seem to fall in love with unavailable women," Heiji said with a sigh.

"Oh! That must've stung!" Fuji grimaced as Toshiro gave a loud yell; the source of the yell being Ally's fist once again.

"Yeah… Ah, a couple of ice packs and he ought to be okay…" Heiji said indifferently, "Hey, I want you to walk with me, okay?"

"Um, okay, sure!" Fuji smirked, rose from the bench, and followed Heiji into a densely-planted area. There was a wooden bridge over a lake, and Heiji stopped, and looked down in the water. He had calculated the risk factor to about a million to one, the one being the one chance he had.

"Wow, look at the size of these fish!" Fuji gasped, leaning over the bridge.

"Fuji, I want to talk to you, okay?"

"Okay, what's up?" Fuji asked, smiling and leaning against the railing. Heiji perched himself up on the opposite railing, and paused before speaking. He looked back, and was shocked to see several men had stopped. He did not know the source of their looks, but turned once again to the leaning Fuji in her short skirt. He quickly pulled Fuji away from the railing over the bridge, and the men all glared in disappointment.

"Your dad chased your mom around a lot, you know," said Heiji, clearing his throat.

"….Yeah… I know… Only thing that made Mom stop was the fact that Dad got her pregnant," Fuji responded.

"What?! I, I mean, you don't plan on that happening, do you?"

"What, me, get pregnant? Please! I intend to do this until someone kills me or I die," Fuji replied with a small chuckle, "I'm sorry, but I honestly can't see myself settling down in the French countryside anytime soon… That place bored me enough growing up!"

"You're really serious, aren't you?" Heiji muttered, stunned.

"Yeah," Fuji nodded, "Although if I ever do retire, I'm going to Hawaii!"

"Hawaii? Why Hawaii?"

"I like pineapples," Fuji replied with another warm laugh, "Heiji-chan, I already know where you're going with all of this, and you're a really sweet boy—Meaning you need to find a sweet girl—Meaning not me."

"Huh?" Heiji flushed, and blinked a few times in surprise. How had she known?

"I'm not very bright when it comes to computers, but I'm no dummy," she explained, "I saw something you had written on the computer, and I got curious… It was a letter to me… Listen, I like to steal things, but not something like that… I don't like to steal hearts of people whom I know are good people…"

"Hey, watch it!" a bicyclist called, but Heiji was still too stunned to hear him. The bicyclist flew by, hit Heiji in the knees, and sent the Ishikawa child into the lake.

"Oh my God, Heiji, are you okay!?" Fuji gasped, running down the bridge and cautiously wading out to help Heiji rise from the knee-deep water.

"Yeah, yeah, I'll be okay," Heiji coughed, and spat out a tiny bit of lake water, "Great… I'm probably going to catch something, now… I'm freezing… Damn it…"

"Here," Fuji removed her blue jacket, and placed it over his shoulders, and helped him onto the dry land, "Let's get you home… How are you feeling?"

"I've been better," Heiji admitted with a hacking cough from the excess water.

Later that Night:

"How's your other hand?" Yukiko asked as she continued to bandage Toshiro's elbow on the opposite arm.

"Moveable…" Toshiro replied numbly, "How the hell did your brother get that vicious?"

"I dunno… Too many muffins from Mom?" Yukiko suggested with a hopeful smirk.

"I did get a kick, though…" Toshiro said with a smile.

"Okay, kicking him in his ass when his back's turned as he's walking away sort of counts," Yukiko said with a roll of the eyes, "Jeeze… He got you good…"

"I need to get that guy back…" Toshiro said in a whisper.

"And then what? It won't bring anyone back or anything…."

"Philosophy's wasted upon someone who kills for a living," Toshiro quipped.

"Listen, I just don't want you getting hurt out there… I know that you know can hand-to-hand, but that's limited… These guys have probably been trained since they were in diapers!"

"I was, too! I have to try! I have an opportunity, and I've got to take it…"

"Well, you're diligent, I'll give you that… But you're still an idiot… Hey, did I tell you I had a dream where everything was a musical? Everyone broke out into song!"

"That's called Saturday, when everyone goes out partying."

"Hm, good point…" Yukiko nodded.

"Ow!" Toshiro moaned as she poured a clear liquid upon one of his wounds.

"Stop moaning, you big baby… I was shot when I was eight years old and I didn't bitch this much!" Yukiko chuckled.

"Hey, I wanted to ask you…"

"Hrm?"

"About before…. When I was getting ready for the kabuki performance…"

"Oh, that… Um, I slipped…"

"I know that! I mean, when we fell…. You looked at me strangely, like you wanted to—"

"Fuji, I'm not doing it!" Heiji shouted from the next room, "You can only get me to play dress up once a heist, tops!"

"Oh, come on, Heiji-chan… Please do it for me?" Fuji asked sweetly with a smile as she and Heiji walked through the room Yukiko and Toshiro sat in, a common room which connected their two hotel rooms.

"What's goin' on?" asked Yukiko.

"I want to know what exactly Blondie and Bro are up to in Taiwan…" said Fuji, "And I happened to notice something…"

"What?" Toshiro ventured to ask.

"Look!" Fuji threw a blonde wig upon Heiji's head from behind, and then changed his black framed glasses for wire rims.

"Woah…" Yukiko blinked a few times in surprise.

"I wonder which Zenigata looked like that…. You look scarily like Max! You two must share some similar genes…!" said Toshiro, "In the face, though… I guess I never noticed it because of Dad's hair—And those thick glasses do detract from your looks…"

"Hey, I don't go around insulting people!" snapped Heiji, "Fuji, I'm not doing this!"

"Please, Heiji-chan? Please?" asked Fuji sweetly.

Odori stepped into the hotel room quietly, paused a moment, and looked over at Heiji, "Who the hell invited Zenigata?"

"I'm not Zenigata!" Heiji shrieked, slamming a foot down upon the floor.

Later, Leo, Max and Jake's Hotel Room:

"Hey, where's Jake, Max?" Leo inquired as 'Max' strode through the door, looking his usual soured self.

"Um… He went down to go get a drink of coffee," replied Max as he reached for a handkerchief in his pocket with his right hand and wiped his glasses. Leo's eyebrows raised in surprise, and he smirked devilishly.

"It's good he's gone…" Leo started, "He's really been cutting into our alone time…"

"Yeah, I—Wha?" the imposter stopped polishing his glasses, and placed them on his face, "I… I'm going to check out the bathroom… I left something in there…."

"Okay, hurry back…" Leo said lightly. As 'Max' closed the door, Leo began to set his plan into motion, "All right, Fuji, you want to play tough, I'll play tough…" he said as he tossed aside his purple sports jacket and quickly undid his tie.

"What in the hell was that all about?" Heiji wondered as he looked about the bathroom; in the cabinets, in the trash can, "First she shoots me down, then I'm thrown into a lake… Now I'm sorting through garbage dressed up as that wound-too-tight uncle of mine… And to add insult to injury, they dress me in a baggier suit because they say I'm pudgy!"

"Max, are you done?" Leo inquired in a strange voice, wrapping upon the door.

"Eh, yeah, I am…" Heiji replied, fixing the bathroom to its original condition and stumbling out of the bathroom on an old towel upon the floor. He felt a set of arms catch him, and he slowly looked upward at the smiling Leo.

"Dumb blonde…" Leo chuckled, lifting Heiji onto his feet, "Hey, what's with the face? I called Jake on his cell, and he's going to get us some new batteries for our walkie-talkies…."

"That's great…. Um, where's your jacket?"

"I was thinking that maybe I could order us something… Wine, maybe?"

"Um, I really could go for some soda…. Soda's nice… Keeps ya sober… Wouldn't want to do anything stupid, now, would we?"

"Why not? That's how it all started, anyway…" said Leo with a sigh of remembrance, "It was such a beautiful evening in Portugal… The stars were shining so brightly, and there was a slight breeze…. A seagull passed upon the ever-brightening horizon, and a band could be heard in the background…"

"What are you on!?" Heiji sputtered wildly.

"Max, could you please tell me what you said when you told me you loved me?" Leo asked pleadingly, grabbing onto Heiji's hands and smiling.

"What!? When I told you I—Wha—Oh, words, right… Um… Could you refresh me… Eh hee hee?"

"LeBlanc, put down the damn knitting needles and do something usual for a change…" Leo sighed, looking off ward into space.

"Um… Oh, yeah, how could I forget?"

"Apparently you did… It's okay, though, I still like you, Zenigata…."

"Good to know… Um… How about we watch TV?"

"Not yet… Not before this…" Leo leaned inward, and Heiji leaned back, and kept taking steps in the backward direction until he tripped and fell onto the couch. Leo smiled and leaned over Heiji.

It was then the door opened, and both swung their heads about to see a stunned Max and Jake, "What the hell are you doing!? Who the hell is that, and why the hell does he look like me!? And why the hell are you two on the couch!?"

"Max!" Leo yelped, stood straight upward, and began to button the top three buttons of his shirt once again.

"I've gotta go!" Heiji yelped.

"Wait a damn second! You aren't going anywhere!" Max growled.

"Like hell I'm not! I'm not gonna be the bitch of anyone who knits!" Heiji yelped.

Max paused, "…Heiji?"

"I'm going!" Heiji made a mad dash to the window, and the three men all ran to the window. They watched in horror as he jumped out, but all were secretly relieved as he threw out a grappling hook and caught on to the third floor. He managed to climb the rest of the way down, and it was a quick run from there.

"What just happened?" asked Jake.

"Did you think he was me?" Max asked Leo with horror.

"No! I knew it was him all along!"

"Why didn't you just arrest him, then!?" Max shouted with anger, "Why'd you have to let me come in and see you near making out with someone dressed up as me!?"

"Believe me, it wasn't the easiest thing to do!" snapped Leo.

"You guys want me to leave you alone?" asked Jake.

"No, thanks. I'm going out, now… You two have fun…" Leo said darkly, storming away from the two and out into the hallway, his jacket and tie in hand. Max followed him out, and slammed the hotel door behind himself in the process.

"What in the hell are you doing?" asked Max angrily.

Leo stopped, and hissed venomously, "I'm looking at someone whom I had respect for until I found out he was easy!"

"Easy?" Max blinked in confusion, "Who said I was--"

"Don't you dare play stupid with me, Zenigata! It doesn't work with me, okay?" snapped Leo.

"…How in the hell did you know?" asked Max quietly.

"I have sources, all right?" Leo said, turning away from Max and beginning to walk down the hall.

"You know, you out of all people ought to know that some things ought to be kept secret… It wasn't any of your business, Leo… Stay out of my damn personal life, all right!? It's none of your business!" Max fumed. Leo shook his head, and quietly continued to saunter down the hall.

"Damn idiot…" Max grumbled.

"He was just trying to watch out for you…" Max looked towards the now-open hotel door and saw Jake standing in doorway, "Maybe it was a bad idea… I was just really happy to see you…"

"No, it's okay… He's just got to learn to grow up," replied Max, approaching Jake and closing the hotel room door.

Late that Night:

"I tell you, Fuji, he isn't gonna be ready… He's gonna freakin' kill himself out there…" Ally said darkly to Fuji, who sat listening, and nodded every once in a while, "Is Heiji still in the shower? How long until he gets out?" Ally said in a slight change of subject as he heard the water from the shower pound upon the wall.

"Until he quits feeling dirty, as he said," replied Fuji with some question, "Apparently my brother attempted to seduce him while he was dressed as Max…"

"How's Ryo taking it?"

"I haven't seen her in hours…" Fuji admitted with some worry, "Yuki is watching TV with Toshiro… And they're in separate chairs, so don't worry… And Odori's polishing Zantetsuken… She wanted to throw a party because she finally got it, but I think it's turned into a once person party, because she's looking a little drunk."

"Hey, I want to talk to you about something while you have a minute…" Ally started.

"Sorry, I don't!" Fuji said with a smile, "Got a date!"

"With who?" asked Ally.

"Um… Some actor guy, not sure of his name," said Fuji absently, "But you can bet that he's cute!"

"Oi… You never change…" Ally said with frustration as Fuji departed from the hotel. Odori stepped out, moments later, walking in a slight stumble.

"Hey, what are you so sad about?" asked Odori, collapsing into a chair and staring upward at the ceiling.

"Fuji won't listen to me…" replied Ally angrily, "She's just being delusional again!"

"Hey, it doesn't matter… She's going in a few weeks, anyway!"

"What'd you say?"

"Yep… She's gonna ditch us! I overheard it from Ryo… I kind of fell asleep in the closet, and I woke up hearing that!"

"That hypocritical bitch!" Ally growled, slamming his fist down on the chair arm angrily.

A Taiwan Bridge:

Leo had been walking for hours. His feet were killing him, but he didn't seem to care. He stopped and looked at the striking panorama of the scenery—All brightly lit and reflecting off of the water. The bridge was too small for a car, but perfect for people. Leo saw someone in the distance, and gaped as the female figure climbed over the bridge and sat upon the rail, and looked into the water.

"Wait, Ma'am, don't!" Leo shrieked, running to her. He grabbed her by the waist as she went to throw herself off of it, and fell to the concrete with her landing atop.

"Leave me alone! I knew I should've just driven my car into the lake!" she yelled, slapping Leo away, her numerous bracelets gleaming in the light's reflection.

"Ryo?" Leo gasped.

"A-Ari?" Ryo blinked a few times in surprise. She reached forward, and embraced him, "It is you!"

"What are you doing!?" Leo wondered aloud with horror.

"I can't take this anymore… I haven't been the same since you left…" replied Ryo, breaking away from Leo and placing her folded arms upon her knees, "I figured since Fuji's leaving anyway, I won't have anything to do… So I might as well, right?"

"Fuji? Leaving?" Leo said with surprise.

"Yeah…. I found a note in her jacket…" replied Ryo, "She's leaving, and Ally wants to leave… I have no clue what I'll do… I can't exactly go and stay with you now, can I? Especially since… Ari, do you like Max?"

"W-what!? …Oh…. Heiji… I—I did that just, just to scare him…" Leo admitted.

"I want to walk with you… I don't want to be Ryo and Leo… I want to be Ryoko and Arsene, like the old times," said Ryo.

"It can't be like that! R-Ryo, I'm sorry you're upset, but the past, the past is… Well, t-the past!" Leo said nervously as he helped her to stand. He jumped in surprise as Ryo leaned in and kissed him, and Ryo drew back and smiled.

"Now, why are you here alone, without Zenigata?"

"We… We got into a fight…" Leo admitted.

"Well, do you have somewhere to stay?"

"Um, well, I—"

"I'm just saying, maybe I could find us somewhere…"

"U-us?"

"Yeah-huh," Ryo nodded, "What do you say, huh? Zenigata won't miss you, he has his own problems…"

"Ryo, you know I-I can't! Please don't make me chose, o-okay?" Leo said nervously, "You… You know I'd love to, if… If I could… B-but I can't!"

"There are few people who understand you in the world, Lupin the Fourth, and I'm one of them," said Ryo.

"You may understand Lupin, but you don't understand Leo LeBlanc… You don't know anything about him!" snapped Leo angrily.

"Then I want to… I just want back what we had… Even if it's once, I want that, okay? It's not asking that much…"

"I'm taking you in!" snapped Leo, "You're a lawbreaker, and you need to learn what's right!"

Ryo leaned forward and slapped him across the face, "I may need to learn what's right, but you need to know where your loyalties lie! I'm the one who worried about you when you were gone, who took care of you when you were injured, and I guess that doesn't mean crap to you anymore! Well, fine! I guess I wasted a good eight years of my life dating you! You're just as bad as your dad—No, you're worse when it comes to women! You actually had me believe that we could have a relationship together! You know, you may think Zenigata's your friend now, but you can only live a double life for so long before he finds out the truth about you! And do you think he'll still like you afterwards!?"

"Ryoko…"

"Bye, _Leo_…." she strode off of the bridge, leaving Leo alone upon it

"Ryo…" Leo sighed, and removed his glasses, "She can't understand that Ari's dead… I killed him right after I killed that innocent man… She can't understand, and Fuji wouldn't, either…. And where's she running off to now, anyway? That girl should've been locked up and kept away from boys and every other dangerous thing when she became a teenager! Ryo's got a point about Zenigata, though… I can't keep lying to him… All things are eventual… I'm going to have to tell him, I just have to decide a good time…."

"You're officer LeBlanc, correct?" Leo spun around, and saw a man who did not immediately strike him as being familiar, but Leo soon recognized. It was the Israeli man whom he had seen a photo of; he had stolen Jacob's Torah, "I understand that the Lupin gang is something after mine…. I need your help…. I have no idea why they're after the stupid thing; it's just a keepsake from an old friend."

"How close a friend?" Leo inquired.

"Close enough," replied the Israeli, "I need your help."

"Why?" snapped Leo.

"Because your partner is two close to Jake, and I think there's a few things you need to know about him…" said the Israeli, "First being that he's a liar. He's only using your friend."

"I knew it!" Leo yelled angrily, pounding his fist upon the bridge rail, "What's Lupin got to do with all of this?"

"He needed an excuse to get to her, and when he heard his ex was on the Lupin case, the wheels start turning. He figured he'd use me as another pawn in his scheme. He remembered when we broke up that he had left a Torah..."

"If the Torah doesn't mean that much, why do you want my help?" Leo asked.

"I want you to protect me from Jake," replied the Israeli, "He's dangerous… I'm not worried about your partner, he can hold his own."

"But you're a martial artist!" Leo yelped, taking a step back, "There's something in your story that doesn't add up, Sir…"

Leo watched as a jackknife flipped open and glinted under the moonlight, and he took another couple of steps back. He broke into a run, and went to jump over the bridge, but was caught by the jacket, and pulled back up to the concrete. He slid out of his purple sports coat, and tried to fight off the Israeli, but was soon defeated with a strong blow to the head. Leo fell unconscious, and his limp body was carried by the Israeli fighter off of the bridge. Only his sports coat and a small amount of blood remained from the struggle.

It was about this time another set of footsteps could be heard running back to the bridge.

"I just can't let him off like that…." Ryo said angrily as she bounded back for the bridge, "Ari, I— Ari?" she kneeled down, and lifted up his purple jacket, and then felt the warm blood upon the concrete with a chill of absolute horror, "Oh God…."

Zenigata and LeBlanc's Hotel:

"Someone knocked on the door," said Jake quietly. He and Max were seated on the couch watching a movie; Zenigata had been leaning on Jake somewhat while they watched the film.

"He probably forgot his key…" sighed Max, rising and bounding for the door. There was another rabid pounding, an Max called, "I'm coming, Leo!"

He was shocked to see a sobbing Ryo standing in the doorway, Leo's jacket in her shaking hands.


	37. I'll get You

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Lupin III, but I do own my own little alternate universe… And I think I'd die in shock and happiness if this were read by Monkey Punch, and he gave his opinion of it (sighs like schoolgirl).

Happy Hanukah!

Sorry if that wish is coming a little late, but here's wishing that those of you who do celebrate that holiday had a good time. Well, this chapter's out a little sooner, thanks to winter vacation (yay!). That means plenty of well-needed rest for this author. Hopefully I can also get the Christmas special out soon. See you around, dear readers, and happy holidays!

Fun Fact of Boredom: The Beatles' lyrics aren't included in every chapter just for the crap of it, and not just because I know all of the lyrics to the all of the songs (sad, no?), there's actually a purpose for it. The Beatles were a group of four who shocked and dazzled the world with their music and were led by the witty John, and included John's best friend Paul, the quiet George, and tag-along Ringo. The Lupin gang is a group of four who shocked and dazzled the world with their thieving and were led by the witty Lupin, and included Lupin's best friend Jigen, the quiet Goemon, and tag-along Fujiko…. It's sad how much sense that makes, almost.

Chapter Thirty Seven

A few moments later: I'll get You

_'I don't like you,_

_But I love you,_

_Seems I'm always thinking of you,'_

—The Beatles, _'You've Really Got a Hold on Me'_

Max and Leo's Hotel:

Max grabbed the jacket from Ryo, and glared upward at her darkly, "What kind of a sick trick are you playing here!? Where's Leo!?"

"I… I don't know… There was blood, too," replied Ryo with a sob.

"…What were you doing talking with him? Was he trying to arrest you?" Max inquired in a deep tone.

"No, we… I can't tell you what we were talking about, Zenigata! He's in trouble, you have to believe me!" Ryo cried. Max grabbed her by the wrist and slapped a handcuff over her left hand, and then her right one, and drug her into the room, slamming the door behind her.

"You lying wench… Now you're going to tell me what's going on! What'd you two talk about!? Tell me or I'll take you down to a jail right now, and they'll hang you by morning!" Max growled.

"You're just being mean because you're worried, aren't you?" said Ryo quietly, "You're scared I did something to him, but I didn't. I would never hurt him."

"And why is that?"

"…Because I still love him…" Ryo said quietly. Max let go of her wrists, and took a few steps back, "And I'm willing to bet you do, too…"

"How far do you two go back?" Max asked.

"Arséne Lupin… The thief who loved me…" Ryo muttered to herself, looking away from Max.

"What'd you just say?" Max demanded, "What's going on, Jigen? You love him!? How the hell long's that been going on? Are you two—"

"Not anymore," Ryo responded, "We used to, though. He was still shy around women, then. I was the one who was able to get through to him."

"How do I know you're not lying!?" snapped Max angrily.

"Get me a computer and I'll show you I'm not," replied Ryo, "Just let me out of these handcuffs."

Max paused, but then nodded, and undid her handcuffs. She exercised her wrists and walked over to a laptop setup in the living area, "A lot of sick people have a lot of sick stuff up on the Internet… Well, not so sick, but creepy. There's a kid in San Fran named Louie who loves the Lupin group… He has a whole bunch of stuff on his website… Videos of heists, pictures of the gang—Even photos from the swimsuit issue your sister did in Germany."

"The WHAT!?" Max choked.

"Anyway, here's the one I want to show you," Ryo said with a small sniff leftover from her tears, "It's new footage from the murder of that guard… The one Lupin the Fourth killed… It's had a digital cleanup… Heiji showed me this one day… Not that I was thrilled to see it." She clicked on the link 'LUPIN4THACCIDENT' and both watched the footage of the film.

Ryo and Heiji were dressed up as customers in a bank. Then, Odori busted in, slashing open the desk of the bank and jumping over it. Ally ran in and disabled the guard, and then the Lupin twins ran in. While Odori went to opening the safe, Heiji glanced through a map of the bank, and Ryo led the crowd outside. Max watched as one guard attempted to attack Fuji, but Ari tried to hold him off. Both Ari and the guard began to fight, Ari trying desperately to hold his gun away from them. A shot fired, and the guard slumped on top of Ari. Ari pushed off the body, rose, and stared down at horror at the body, and then at himself, who was covered in fresh blood. He began to struggle to breath, and fell to the floor. Ally leaned downward and felt for a pulse, and then stood upward grimly, looking down upon the body sadly. Odori went to shut off the cameras while Ryo went and comforted Ari. Fuji simply stared at the body in surprise. Heiji peered out of the safe, and blinked a few times in shock, and he then two wandered outward and joined the group.

Ryo stopped the tape, and closed up on a frame of her and Ari. She cleaned it up, and Max recognized who it was immediately. He gasped, and put a hand to his face, "That's…"

"He left a little while later… He was really emotionally screwed up over it… He probably still has dreams about it…. I remember, after the accident, he did nothing but toss and turn in his sleep, and scream… He always screamed at the end… His mom and dad tried to help, but, what could be done? They even brought my dad over, who had worked as an assassin. That didn't go over well, and, long story short, Ari called Dad a hypocritical old blind bastard. He left a note… I keep a copy with me… It's in his handwriting… You want to read it?"

"No, not right now—Later," said Max, shaking his head, "Right now, we've got to find him. He's in trouble."

"You still want to go and…"

"I can't sit around and let him get hurt… It's my duty as an Interpol officer to retrieve him, and my duty as a friend to return everything he's done for me…" Max said.

"I'll bet I know who it is…" said Jake from the couch, "I'll bet it's the guy your after… My ex…"

"He was your ex?" Max choked.

"Yeah-huh," Jake nodded, "I'll bet he's got Leo, or whoever he is, because he thinks you like him, Sushi Boy… And he wants to get back at you…"

"What? Why me?"

"He liked me. He didn't go to our school, but I worked with him. That's how we met. You drove a spike in between us, and he's never forgiven you. Jeeze, I think I remember why I stick to women, now. They're less complicated…"

"Well, where do we find him?" Max asked intently.

"Probably at the tournament…" Jake said.

"What do we do until then?" asked Ryo.

"Hope your friend lives," Jake replied.

A Few Days Later:

"You ready, Toshi-chan?" asked Fuji with a smile as all sat on of the prep rooms of the arena.

"Yeah," Toshiro nodded, "With thanks to Ally, of course…"

"rHey, um, don't go thanking me! And don't go getting your ass kicked, either!" snapped Ally from his corner, "It'd make me look bad…"

"How'd you get him to improve so much so soon, anyway?" asked Fuji confidentially as she walked over to Ally.

"Oh, our little secret," replied Ally with a smile, "On another note, you hear from Ryo yet?"

"Nope… She just told me she had work to do, and I'll leave it at that… Hey, maybe she met someone nice!" chuckled Fuji in a whisper. Ally glared, and Fuji scruffed his hair, and then walked back to the group, "I love it when you look at me like that, Ally! Makes me feel all warm and special inside… Or maybe that's just the heartburn from the steak I had."

"Good luck, Toshiro. I will keep in mind the story of our ancestor, Ishikawa Goemon, as we watch your battle," said Odori with a deep bow.

"Dori, he was killed…." said Toshiro with worry.

"Hrm… I must find new ancestors to worship, then," said Odori with concentration.

"How about your biological parents' ancestors? They were farmers, right? What's safer than farming?" Heiji said with hope, "You know, you would've been a weird farm girl… But, hey, there're goats on farms, so you probably could've been married off a lot quicker!"

"I'm gonna strangle you, Heiji!" Odori growled, running towards him. Heiji laughed, and took off in a run after her.

"Hey, guys, I wanna talk to the big idiot for a few seconds, okay?" the otherwise quiet Yukiko said.

"Ah, I see…. A few seconds or a few minutes?" asked Fuji with a smile.

"Come on, oh one of perverse ways," said Odori, leading Fuji out by the jacket with the others, and leaving Yukiko and Toshiro alone in the prep room. Yukiko kneeled down in front of Toshiro, who was sitting upon a bench in deep concentration.

"You okay?" Yukiko inquired.

"I'm starting to wonder if you're right, Yukiko… Even if I do defeat this man, I'll still have to live without—"

"Yeah, but you'll feel a hell of a lot better," Yukiko reassured him with a smile, "I have the feeling you'll make it to at least the second round…"

"Thanks for the reassurance," Toshiro snorted. He stared downward at Yukiko, and put his hands upon her shoulders. He leaned inward and kissed her upon the forehead, making her fedora fall to the ground behind her upon her legs.

"You're not quite as brazen as you were a while ago; the message must be getting through to you," Yukiko admitted.

"Hrm?"

"Usually, you would've been a little more daring in your aim," she chuckled.

"I guess I just don't have it in me today," sighed Toshiro, "I'm just worried, is all."

"Well, here…. For good luck, okay?" Yukiko raised upward, and kissed him upon the mouth. Toshiro was speechless as she back away, "Don't you dare read into that, but I just did it so you don't come back as a ghost and bitch at me that I wasn't ever nice to you…"

"Hey, if I win the championship, could I get better than that?" asked Toshiro.

"What do you me—Oh, for the love of!" Yukiko smacked her face with her hand, "Keep dreamin', man, keep dreamin'!" She picked up her fedora, rose, dusted it off, and looked downward at Toshiro, "Good luck." She walked out of the preparation area, and Toshiro gave a small sigh.

"Well, I'm closer than I was a year ago," he said to himself.

Outside, in the arena, the Lupin gang sat in the seats directly behind the judges, and they found themselves sitting next to father and daughter, Amaya Ishikawa and retired Inspector Koichi Zenigata.

"Hey, Grandpa!" Heiji said happily.

"Heiji! Odori, I see you're here, too!" said Zenigata happily, "Where's Toshiro?"

"He's competing," replied Heiji calmly.

"What!?" Zenigata yelped.

"Dad, don't worry; I'm sure he'll do fine!" Amaya reassured him.

"You realize that Natasha trained some of these guys, right?" Zenigata gulped, "That kid's going to get eaten alive…" he muttered to himself with a shake of the head.

"Hey, Totsan (old man), did you know Max is here?" said Fuji with a smile.

"You… Your dad always called me old man, too—I see his disrespect is genetic!" snapped Zenigata.

"You're in the middle of your seventh decade, Zenigata—Not only are you old, you're old as hell!" Fuji chuckled.

"You'll be old too, someday!" called Zenigata.

"You let me know when. You're mean, so you'll probably live forever, and be around to tell me. Mean people always do live longer," replied Fuji as she turned her attention to the arena, "A bunch of shirtless guys working out… God, I _love _fighting matches!"

"Is she right about Max being here?" asked Zenigata with a whisper to his daughter, "I know lying comes easily to her…"

"She is, Dad… I ran into him a little while ago," admitted Amaya, "and I'm worried about Toshiro… But I know why he's doing this…. There's a member of the Rat Clan here, one who claimed to kill Julia."

"Wow… It's no wonder…" Zenigata said as he looked downward at the judges' bench, where Goemon and Natasha sat next to one another, along with judges from Russia, Brazil, the United States and Korea.

"Hey, it's starting!" said Ally excitedly.

"Hey, there's Zenigata… The blonde one…With his friend… And Ryo…" said Odori as she watched Max, Jake and Ryo burst through the door, several men attempting to hold them back but Max flashing his badge and allowing him and his comrades immediate access into the fight. They could not, however, gain access beyond the point of the arena and seats.

"Zenigata-sama!" Fuji called, and waved to him.

Goemon and Natasha, who were seated next to one another, looked back together at the Lupin gang, and then forward at Max, Jake and Ryo, whom were running towards the gang. Natasha glared as she laid eyes upon Jake.

"Remember the good old days, when the police officers chased after the bad guys, and didn't help them?" Goemon inquired tiredly.

"What's he doing with him?" Natasha wondered.

"Natasha, Goemon, have you see Ari!?" asked Ryo worriedly as they ran to their table.

"What? Why?" asked Natasha.

"Hi Mrs. Zenigata…. I'm afraid I caused some trouble again," said Jake remorsefully.

"What's new?" Natasha snorted, "Max, what's going on? Where's Leo?"

"With Ari," said Max quietly.

"Oh… You know, huh?"

"Yep… But he's still my friend, and I've got to save him! I can't just let that guy kill him!"

"Kill him!?" Natasha and Goemon gasped.

"He was kidnapped," Ryo explained to the two, "And we think the guy who kidnapped him is here, and—"

"Excuse me, we're about to get this underway," whispered one of the referees to the trio.

"Do you mind!?" snapped Max angrily.

"We could look for him with you!" Natasha whispered to them, "We'll hold off the fight!"

"No, then he'll be suspicious. Just act like everything's okay, all right?" Ryo ordered, "Max, Jake, come on—Let's go."

"Goemon, Toshiro's one of the first to fight," Natasha said as she looked down at the schedule, after Ryo had vanished with Max and Jake. The two sat numbly through the opening ceremonies as they commenced, and also when the first two fighters came out. But they did cringe when one fighter had his hand broken within the first five seconds, and both prayed for Toshiro.

Toshiro Ichikawa (a false name Toshiro used so he would be able to compete while his father judged) was in the third set of fighters to come out. He faced off against a Ukrainian man, and Yukiko cringed as Toshiro took a punch to the face, and noted with surprise that Ally also shuddered at the same moment.

Toshiro quickly returned this blow with a kick to the back of the man's neck, and the Ukrainian fell to the ground. Odori frowned, not recognizing this fighting technique. But Yukiko quickly snapped to attention, for she recognized this.

"That's a dance move you modified!" gaped Yukiko as she turned to Ally, "You taught him martial arts with choreography!"

"Well, it worked, didn't it?" Ally shrugged, "The Ukrainian ain't gettin' up anytime soon…"

Toshiro, down in the ring, panted and gulped as he stared down at his opponent, who had come up twice more to fight him only to be knocked down again. He heard the referee count, and then the bell sounded. He had won this match, and he was one step closer to his revenge.

Max, Ryo and Jake, however, were having less success. They had been briefly separated by the cheering crowds as they went to go find Lupin and company, and now were once again together, but still faced the obstacle of getting Fuji and the gang's attention in the swarming crowds. Max, finally, was able to reach them, and wore a hectic look upon his face as he practically crashed into the group, the result of the packed seating.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Zenigata asked worriedly, rising, walking over to Max and taking him by the shoulders, "Why are you so worried?"

"Dad, something bad's going to happen to Ari…" Max replied in a pant.

"What!?" Fuji shrieked, and sprung up from her seat, "You guys keep an eye on Toshiro," she said, turning back to her group, "I'm going to go look with Zenigata!" she quickly took Max by the hand, leaving a stunned group and a worried Zenigata as they wove through the crowds.

The Israeli fighter was somewhat stunned to see a buxom, black-haired Asian girl coming to wish him good luck with flowers as he exited the preparation room, in order to stand in line for his turn in battle. Fuji did not fool him, however.

"I know you're that bastard's sister," snorted the Israeli as he looked down upon Fuji, "And I'm not going to tell you where he is out of the kindness of my heart!"

Fuji looked down at the ground in concentration, and then back up at him, "Fine, then. You like what you see? You can have it, all right? Just tell me where my brother is, and you can have it. I promise. I'll even stay and cuddle, even though I freakin' _hate_ to cuddle."

"No thank you—I already know where I can find plenty of classier whores," replied the Israeli with a snap, "I want Jacob—I want him here so I can kill him. I want to see him die. And after that, I want to kill that blond mutt for stealing Jacob from me in the first place. But before that, I want to kill that yellow bastard's friend in front of him… I want him to know pain…"

"Listen, if it's someone who knows pain, it's Zenigata; I inflict pain upon him all of the time," said Fuji, "I don't see the point in all of this—If you don't tell me where he is, and play it easy with me, I'm going to have to steal him from you. I'm a master thief, after all."

The Israeli grabbed Fuji by the neck, lifted her, and pinned her against the wall, her feet kicking in the air. She gasped for air as he glared at her, but quickly stopped this as a blade shot out from her heel, and scratched him across the thigh. He let out a yell, and Fuji took off running as he let go of his grip.

"You little bitch!" he wailed, "You'll get yours, yet!"

Fuji ran back to the arena seats, where Max was standing, "I managed to get a key off of him!"

"What's that mark on your throat?" Max wondered aloud.

"He, eh, liked to play rough," Fuji responded.

"Oh, no, you didn't—"

"Hell, no!" Fuji yelped, "Listen, we've got to figure out what this key would belong to…"

"How do we know he's where the key is?" asked Max worriedly.

"Because—He wants to put more bodies in there with Leo," said Fuji.

"Don't you mean Ari?" asked Max, "I know, all right, Lupin? You don't have to keep up with the charade… I know who he is, now."

"Oh, God, Zenigata… That's gotta sting…"

"At least he had reason to tell me. Everyone else let me play idiot, and kept me in the dark," responded Max tiredly.

"It was only because we love both of you guys. Now, come on, let's go try to find a match," said Fuji.

They ran back to Heiji, who was watching another round with his brother. Fuji looked down, and saw that Yukiko had gone down to the ring, and was speaking to Toshiro, who had yet to have gone into the second round, this time against a German man. Toshiro looked downward at her in shock; Fuji could tell that she had just relayed the story to her.

"Heiji, do you have your laptop?" inquired Fuji hurriedly.

"Hey, sit down!" yelled a man in the crowd.

"As always!" replied Heiji with a smile, which quickly faded as he laid eyes upon Fuji's stilled-reddened neck, "Hey, what happened to… Who did that to you?"

"It doesn't matter—I need you to find where this key goes to," Fuji said, tossing him a key.

"I said sit down!" growled the same man.

"You shut up, or I'll take you in right now for disturbing the peace!" Max shouted, drawing his gun and badge. The man quickly quieted.

"Hey, the second round's starting!" Ally called to the others, "Come on, Toshiro!"

"That's something I thought I'd never hear him say…" Odori said to herself.

"Here! It's an apartment complex!" Heiji said triumphantly, "Here's the address!"

"Ryo ought to know where that is; she's always here," said Fuji. Fuji bent downward, took the key, and quickly pecked Heiji on the cheek, "Thanks!"

"Heh, no problem…"a slightly surprised Heiji replied. Max and Fuji quickly shuffled out of the crowd once again, and then met up with Ryo and Jake, whom had acquired a car through unknown methods. Ryo drove, using her race car driving skills to swerve in and out of traffic, and they arrived in fifteen minutes at their destination, which was across town.

They ran out of the car, Fuji noting the numbers '371' on the key, and they ran to the third floor, and found the room. Fuji hurriedly unlocked the door, and all entered, Fuji, Ryo and Max with their guns drawn.

They found Leo bound and gagged in a wooden chair in the lone bedroom, which was frigidly cold. He had been beaten, and was either sleeping or unconscious; none were sure, but they did know that, fortunately, he was alive.

Max took a Swiss army knife from his pocket, and undid the gag and the rope bindings, and lifted Leo up. By this time, Leo opened his eyes, and saw the worriedly expression Zenigata wore, "Don't worry, we'll get you out of here in no time, Leo! What the hell did that sick bastard do to you, anyway?"

"Huh?" Leo looked upward at Max, and then turned to Fuji, "Mommy? Heh, I knew you and Dad would come and get me…"

"…Ari…" Fuji choked.

"He's running a fever!" announced Ryo as she laid a hand upon his forehead, "We need to rush him to a hospital! Put him in the car!"

"Yeah!" Max nodded, and began to run down the flights with Leo, Ryo, Fuji and Jake coming up close behind him. Max sat in the back seat, along with Fuji, and they spread his body over their laps, "When I find out what this guy did—"

"Hasn't there been enough damn revenge around here!?" Fuji shouted angrily. Max looked at her, stunned. She looked as though she wanted to punch him, or anyone, for that matter, "If it weren't for everyone's damn guilt, damn stupid need for revenge, none of this would've ever happened!"

"I'm worried about him too, Fujiko," Max admitted as Ryo sped through the city streets to the hospital.

Back at the Arena:

"This is the guy here," Yukiko whispered to Zenigata and Amaya as the Israeli took the stage, "You think you can get him, Pops? We can't cause too much of a disturbance—Toshiro and the Rat Clan member are next, and he needs his shot at getting even."

"Kid, I was doing this while you were still the unknown result of a drunken fling!" Zenigata replied with a hearty laugh.

"More than I needed to know…But okay, go for it, Old Man," said Yukiko. Zenigata rose, and a set of handcuffs flew through the air, first around one hand of the Israeli, and then around the other, binding him in the metal bracelets. Ally and Odori then approached him, but both were more than shocked when he busted out of the handcuffs, grabbed Odori by the throat, and flung her into the crowd. The judges rose in horror and looked back at Odori, who had disappeared into the crowd. They then looked back, and watched as Ally was thrown through the exit doors, and out onto the concrete pavilion, where Jigen rolled and then gripped onto his shoulder, letting out a cry of pain.

Toshiro had seen all of this happen, and with a great amount of horror. He watched the Israeli stare down Yukiko as she ran through the audience, jumped and landed on the arena, and also watched as the Rat Clan member took this opportunity to escape out of the back door. He could still catch him and kill him, but the Israeli was quickly approaching Yukiko. She drew her gun, but not quickly enough. The larger man kicked the gun out of her hand, and slapped her to the ground. He held her in place by slamming down on one of her hands with his boot, and Yukiko let out a yell of pain.

"Yukiko, wait!" Toshiro shouted, a pang of pain running through him as he watched the Rat Clan member run away. He ran to Yukiko, and delivered a blow to the Israeli's ear, "Get the hell away from my girlfriend!" Toshiro barked as the Israeli fell to the floor.

Odori, by this time, had wobbled out of the crowd, and shakily made her way to where Toshiro stood in a face-off with the Israeli. Yukiko still lied down upon the ground, but now was freed from her captor.

Toshiro quickly took Odori's sword and unsheathed it, and pointed it at the Israeli.

"Ha! Only cowards hide behind weapons!" the Israeli laughed heartily.

Toshiro smirked, and began to back up slowly. The Israeli continued to laugh and call Toshiro a coward, but was more than a little surprised when Ishikawa ran forward, drove Zantetsuken into the ground, propelled himself from this, and kicked the Israeli in the neck, sending him flying back.

"Yukiko, are you all right?" Toshiro asked worriedly as he bent down to check over Yukiko.

"A three-hundred pound muscle builder stepped on my foot… Yeah, I'm dandy," Yukiko replied with a cough. Toshiro smirked, and raised her up onto his lap, and looked over her injured hand, "I ain't gonna be shooting anything anytime soon…"

"Say, where's Heiji?" Odori inquired as she pulled Zantetsu out of the ground and inspected it for damage.

"I don't know… I wasn't paying attention," Toshiro replied as he helped Yukiko arise from the ground.

"You missed the Rat Clan guy…" said Yukiko.

"I know; you were more important," replied Toshiro, "Preserve the living, remember the dead…"

"You're starting sound like me," Odori quipped, "We need to get everyone under control… Where're Mom, Dad, Grandpa and Grandma?" she asked.

"Not a friggin' clue," admitted Yukiko, "Oh, there they are! Come on, let's follow them out! If they were smart, they went to go check on Ally… I think I heard something crunch on him a little while back…"

They followed the four outside, and much to their surprise, saw Heiji sitting on top of the Rat Clan member, a laptop smashed over the ninja's head and therefore rendering him unconscious, "Merry Christmas, Toshiro!" Heiji said as he rose off of the Rat Clan member, "Sorry I couldn't find a ribbon big enough. Well, he's all yours, now, Bro!"

"Odori, you find a fitting punishment," said Toshiro after a long pause, "I still have the Israeli to attend to."

"Wait, what!?" Odori yelped as she looked down at the passed out ninja, "What in the hell do you want me to do with him!?"

"Kill him, torture him, take him out to dinner… By this point, I don't care," Toshiro admitted tiredly, "Thank you though, Heiji. The gift is truly touching."

"And on that day, he learned the true meaning of Christmas," Heiji chuckled, "Hey, I'm going to check on Ally… I left him in the car… I think he's got a displaced shoulder."

"I'm going to turn this man into the authorities," Odori said after a pause.

"Turn him in!? Why, Dori, Dad would've killed a man this unjust! What are you, adopted?" Heiji asked with amusement as he began the trek to the front of the building, where terrified people were still swarming out in fear. Many cars rammed into one another as they all struggled to leave the parking lot at the same time, and Heiji casually strolled about the parking lot, many of the vehicles nearly missing him as he whistled on his way to the Alfa Romeo, "Ally, you okay?"

"I feel like crap," grumbled Ally, "Did Toshiro get that bastard?"

"He's going inside to finish the job now," replied Heiji as he seated himself in the back seat next to Ally, "So, what do you want me to get you for the holidays?"

"Your brother strung up by the neck on a tree," replied Ally, "Don't you say a damn thing to anyone, but I don't really mind him as much as I did… At least he's better than what Yukiko's been seeing."

"Are you finally coming around?!" Heiji asked with a laugh of disbelief.

"Don't get the wrong idea, I'm just saying that he's not the goof I thought he was, maybe," replied Ally, "Hey, turn on the radio, the pain's starting to settle in."

Later, a Taiwan Hospital:

"He's sure he doesn't want anyone else in with him?" Natasha asked Ryo worriedly.

"Nope, he just wants five minutes with him. And since the two of them are so close, I figured he could go in and see him after Fuji," said Ryo as she looked back at the white door, which behind it held a fallen thief and his friend.

Max slowly approached Leo, who had been treated for a partially collapsed lung, slight pneumonia, and bruised ribs. He carried with him a bouquet of flowers, as well as what looked to be a red blanket over his right arm. He seated himself in a chair next to the silent Leo, who looked away from Zenigata painfully.

"Max, I'm so sorry," Leo said quietly, closing his eyes, "I should've told you sooner. I just was… I was glad I had someone to talk to… Someone who understood me… I didn't want to lose that… I was just having so much fun; it was almost like having my family back."

"Do you have any idea the pain you must've put your parents through?" Max asked as he laid the bouquet aside on a table and draped the red blanket over Leo. Max cringed as he watched the red fall upon Leo; he looked so much like Lupin the Third, it was unmistakable. So how could he have not seen it? It was simple… He hadn't wanted to, because he had been having a good time, too.

"What's going to happen, now? Are you going to report me? I murdered a man, falsified records, put hundreds of lives in danger… What's going to happen to me?" asked Leo.

"Well, you're going to file your injury," Max started as he tucked Leo in with the blanket, "You're going to recover at your parents' home, eat plenty of soup, and not yell at me if I nag at you for working yourself so hard! And then after that, we go home, you finally put up some pictures of your family, promise to call them at least once a week, and clean up the apartment."

"Huh? Are you serious?"

"Well, I can't go home alone!" said Max, "Would you mind being my date?"

"Your… da—"

"Heh, I should've known…. You find out I like boys, and you automatically think I'll take advantage of you as soon as I have the opportunity," Max chortled as he seated himself on the edge of Leo's bed, "Well, it's not true, because you're too damn good for me."

"Um… If I weren't so up on medication, I'd be flattered, Zenigata," said Leo with a small laugh. He tensed as Zenigata reached forward and flattened down some of his hair, and noted the look Max gave him. It was one of respect, but at the same time, more than respect. It was something almost… More…

"I've got to get back out there, but I'm staying in tonight, if that's okay," Max announced quietly, "Get better soon, all right, Ari?"

"I'll try my best, Max," replied Ari. Max rose from the hospital chair, and looked back once at Leo before he exited the hospital room. Ryo came in for her shift a few moments later, also carrying flowers. She immediately bent downward and kissed Leo, and then rose to place the flowers upon his desk.

"I'm ready," she said.

"Huh? Ready for what?" asked Leo imploringly.

"To let go of Ari," she answered. She outstretched her arm to Leo, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Inspector LeBlanc. My name's Ryoko Jigen II, and you're going to be chasing me!"

"I'm sure it's going to be a pleasure, Ryoko," responded Leo as he grabbed hold of her hand and shook it weakly.

On the rooftop:

"How's your hand doing?" asked Toshiro as he and Yukiko sat upon the cold concrete of the building.

"It still hurts… I broke my trigger finder," said answered, shuffling the icepack over her hand a bit and letting out a small grumble, "Nothing booze won't take care of, though!"

"Not with your painkillers. No cigarettes, and no alcohol," Toshiro instructed.

"What?!" Yukiko shrieked, "Then why in the hell am I still alive if I can't do those things?!"

"Hrm, perhaps there's a reason for it," Toshiro suggested.

"And if it has anything to do with that crap of joining two great clans together, I'll puke!" snapped Yukiko.

"I never said that," said Toshiro with surprise.

"It was your dad," replied Yukiko with a roll of the eyes, "He seemed so happy to talk about it, too. He had a gleam in his eye when he was talking with me about it."

"He has many daughters, but I think part of him always wanted you as one," Toshiro said, "I think that'd be a great Christmas present."

"Hey, woah, slow down… I ain't doin' anything that big… I already bought him a big book of crosswords and a Japanese-English dictionary," replied Yukiko quickly, "It's bad enough you called me your girlfriend today."

"It just slipped… Besides, I saved you…"

"Yeah, from ever getting a date here!"

"Like you'd care."

"Good point."

"Well, you're the one who kissed me today," added Toshiro.

"Only for good luck!" snapped Yukiko, "Because you sure as hell needed it!"

"And it worked, didn't it?"

"Eh, yeah… It did… Um, hey, I've gotta pack… We're leaving for France tomorrow, and um, I don't want to forget anything…"

"Okay. I'll get with you tomorrow, Yukiko," Toshiro waved her off, and continued to stare outward at the cold night. Yukiko looked back at him once sadly; he had given up his revenge in order to save her.

"Maybe I should… Nah…" she shook her head, and walked down the stairwell off of the hospital roof, leaving Toshiro to continue his thinking.

"Julie, I know I could've gotten him, but when I finally saw him, I realized it wasn't worth it. I realized that sometimes revenge isn't the best form of treatment," said Toshiro to the wind, "Just please help me now."


	38. Happy XMas the War is Over

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Lupin III… But I have such a lovely little Christmas tree…. No star, though; I couldn't find the damn thing, and looking for it could be considered a lengthy expedition, with the way I store things…

Merry Christmas!

Sorry if this is a day or two late, but I have had absolutely no sleep whatsoever and I am running purely on cookies and Diet Pepsi. Anyway, thank you to everyone who's reviewed positively; and, yes I have been worn down by readers with coupling requests. I wish a happy holiday to everybody reading this, and I'd like to thank them for a gift which they've given me. Anyone reading this and enjoyed it has given me a truly wonderful gift.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

A Few Weeks Later: Happy X-Mas (The War is Over)

_'She asked me to stay and told me to sit anywhere,_

_So I looked around and I noticed there wasn't a chair,_

_I sat on the rug, biding my time, drinking her wine,_

_We talked until two, and then she said, it's time for bed,'_

—The Beatles, _'Norwegian Wood ' _

Fun Fact of Boredom: Look for part four of this series in January. I don't have a title name yet, but it will be around soon! I know I said I'd tell you guys when the story is over, and I'm sorry this is such short notice. But think of the next part as a continuation. Look for more surprising twists and turns in the last part of what's become continuing fanfic! Five dollars and a jar full of guava jelly to whoever can calculate how many hours of my life I've spent in front of a computer writing this! (not really… I'm flat dead broke, and no one gets my guava jelly unless they pry it out of my cold dead bloody hands.) And please don't beat me for not saying anything sooner! I'm sorry!

A Mansion in France, Christmas Eve:

"So, how do you feel about going home?" Max asked Leo as both unloaded their luggage, Max aiding the still-ailing Leo as both approached the home where outside already sat a parked van. Several of the Ishikawa children ran out of the household, signaling their arrival. They embraced their Uncle Max, and inquired as to who Max's strange friend was. Leo introduced himself as Max's friend, Inspector LeBlanc.

"A little nervous I'll admit, and—Hey!" Leo laughed as one of the children hid behind in in order to escape her brother, whom she was playing tag with, "Watch out, okay?" Leo chuckled.

The children cleared away, and Max and Leo continued to climb up the flight of stairs to the porch, and then to the doorway. Max leaned inward and rang the bell, and a somewhat preoccupied Fujiko answered, wearing an apron and oven mitts.

"Sorry about the—Mess…" Fujiko stopped dead as she laid eyes upon Leo, and firmly embraced him. Leo cringed, his ribs aching with the intensity of his mother's embrace, but he did not stop her. Nor did Max, who found the sight somewhat touching.

"Mom, are you crying? Mom, don't cry!" said Leo with a smile, "Merry Christmas! I thought I'd give you the ultimate gift this year! Sorry I couldn't find a bow, but they were all in red—And I don't look very good in red!"

"I… I've got to go find your father…" said Fujiko, backing in the doorway, and nearly tripping over Martha the Third. The presence of the Dalmatian let Leo and Max know that the Jigen family, too, had arrived for the party. So the only ones missing were the Lupin gang and the Zenigatas, who would be bound to show up anytime soon. Lupin had 'forgotten' in invite Remy and his family, as he had forgotten to invite Goemon and Amaya's mothers. Ryoko and Maria, Jigen's mother and sister, however, were still on their way to France. They would both arrive a little later.

Fujiko returned to the entryway, this time with Lupin, who, although usually was calm and cool, appeared genuinely shocked by the presence of his son, "Good to have you home," he finally said after a long pause between the two, "And Mister Zenigata, I see you have shown up, as well! I had my doubts about you, honestly! I see you've proven me wrong! Come on, I'll lead you upstairs. You two wouldn't mind sharing a room, would you? The Ishikawas have practically taken up residence in the West Wing, and fortunately all of your guys' bedrooms are in the east. I can't say the same for myself, though—My rooms right next to Jigen and Ming's, and they're both like a couple of bunny rabbits, if you know what I mean."

"I really wish I didn't, Sir!" replied Max with a smile.

Lupin returned this smile, and he led the duo up the right-hand flight of stairs and to Leo's bedroom, where LeBlanc was shocked to find everything virtually untouched. It was almost like a shrine, Leo thought with a slight shiver of horror.

"Well, I'll leave you guys to your own devices. Max, your parents ought to be showing up soon," said Lupin as he stood in the bedroom with the two, "There's a lot of food downstairs, although Jigen's here now, so I'm not sure if I can honestly say that there's any alcohol left to drink."

"You've starting saying honest things now?" Leo inquired.

"Atta boy!" said Lupin, "You may not have gone into the family business, but you can sure as hell come up with some zingers when need be!" He closed the door behind him as he left, leaving the two alone in Leo's old bedroom.

"Well, I guess we're sharing the bed," said Max with a sigh. He seated himself on the bed, and looked upward at Leo's expression, and immediately read it, and frowned, "Don't worry, I won't pull anything. Scout's honor."

"Good. My dad's shocked enough right now that I'm home; I think I'd be known as the guy who killed Lupin the Third if he caught me with a guy," said Leo with a small chuckle, "But then again, I don't think he'd be that surprised."

"Hey, want to go down and talk with the rest of the family?" asked Max.

"Why not? That's something I thought I'd never do again!" Leo admitted, "We'll unpack the luggage a little later; I'm kind of hungry right now."

"Sounds good. I'm in the mood for something to eat, myself!" Max said, rising from the bed and walking out of the room and down the stairs with his partner and friend.

A little while later, the Zenigata family showed up, followed by the Lupin gang , who was the last group of people to arrive, and arrived in their usual fashion of shrieking on their brakes and nearly running into the home. They were led to their assorted rooms, and then they, too, went down to mingle. The room was jovial, but at the same time, extremely tense. There were many things that still had not been put out of the way; although the original gang had managed to put many things behind them and were now as close as family, things were stretched between many of the new gang members and the inspectors. They all decided to put these aside for the sake of family, however.

Yukiko in particular seemed solemn, and quietly excused herself from the party. The only who seemingly noticed this was Goemon, and he zigzagged his way out of the party and to the back of the property, to the pond where Yukiko stood, where she had played so often growing up.

"You never miss a thing, do you, Goemon?" said Yukiko with a wry laugh, "Why aren't you out at the party? It's snowing out here… That can't be good for you, you know."

"Sensing how sad you are hurts even more," replied Goemon, "But I could be misreading this… It almost feels… Like you're afraid…"

"Heh, good call," Yukiko admitted, "I'm friggin' terrified out of my skull! And you probably know why that is, too. So, you have any advice?"

"In the words of your father, 'Go for it already, damn it.'," replied Goemon coolly.

"But… But what if I screw up, and then what?"

"Well, then you rebuild. Sometimes in order to live you must take risks that may make the road of life more difficult," said Goemon. He added with a small smile, "If you do decide to go down that path, I know you'll make several people happy; several who sometimes can find very little happiness anymore. Especially him."

"Well, I… I guess it wouldn't hurt to talk," said Yukiko with a sigh. She turned back around to the house, and looked back at Goemon once more, "Wish me luck."

"That is only for those who have the odds stacked against them. You, however, seem to have only cards stacked in your favor," replied Goemon, a tone of happiness in his monotone voice.

Yukiko walked back towards the house, her hands in her pockets, "Okay, Yuki… You can do this… Just don't freak out… Just talk to him…. It won't hurt… Then you can finally get some things sorted out…" She opened the back door, and shuffled back in through the party. She removed a piece of paper from her pocket, and a pen, and scribbled something, and shoved the slip into Toshiro's hand.

The samurai looked down at it curiously, and saw where it read '10—My Old Room', and then looked up at the clock. It was 9:51. He excused himself from the conversation he had been having with Zenigata and Amaya, and walked up the stairway, leaving them to wonder why he looked so strange all of a sudden.

Their attention was quickly turned to Lupin, however, who took center stage for what he called a miniature magic show. Next to the proud thief stood a large wrapped gift, shiny red with a large green bow upon it.

"Well, for my first and only trick of the night, I am going to bring a little bit of Italy to France!" said Lupin triumphantly, "Jigen, don't look so excited—It ain't booze!" a small round of laughter was heard in the group, and Lupin continued, "Could I get Mister Allen Jigen here?"

"Huh? Why me?" Ally asked himself as he worked his way to the front of the crowd, "What's your game, Lupin?"

"Game? Ha! No game! Now, watch and be amazed!"

"What a ham…" Fujiko muttered.

"Hey, you're the one who married him," Jigen retorted.

"Only so I wouldn't be a single mother. That bastard's hard enough to get money out of; could you imagine him paying child support for two kids?" Fujiko sighed in response, "I wonder what he's up to…"

"And now, by simply opening this package…" Lupin tugged on the green bow, and the sides of the box fell away, revealing a small and familiar blonde in their wake.

"Carmen?" Ally choked in surprise.

"Merry Christmas," said Carmen, running to Ally and embracing him tightly.

"Well, you have outdone yourself, Lupin," Fujiko said, obviously impressed with her husband's trick.

"Hey, if you liked that so much, maybe I can give you a private magic show after the party," said Lupin with a wide smile. Fujiko returned this by stomping upon his foot, and Lupin jumped and let out a howl of pain. Jigen tried to hold back laughter as he watched Lupin jump up and down.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Toshiro slowly approached Yukiko's door, slowly opened it, and walked inside. He heard the door close behind him, and swerved around to see Yukiko standing there, her fedora, tie and jacket removed and sitting on a desk. She approached him, and cleared her throat.

"I wanted to talk with you a little bit," she started. She walked over to her desk, and sat down upon it, and looked downward at her feet, "I know I've been putting off a lot, but it's been because we've all been so busy, I guess… Or maybe I've been putting it off… I don't know, I just know that you've been wanting me to give you an answer, and I guess I've been, well, a real bitch to you about it. I know you're only doing what you feel's right, and I'm cool with that. I just… I… Crap… Um…"

"I love you too," said Toshiro.

"Thank you!" Yukiko sighed with relief, "Who would've thought, as much as I shoot my mouth off, that I'd have trouble saying something!?"

"Beats the hell out of me," replied Toshiro as he sat down upon her floor, his legs crossed. Besides the red hair (which he had been made fun of for relentlessly by his large family) he looked scarily like his father. His mother must've been an extrovert, though, Yukiko thought with amusement, because his father certainly had never been as extroverted as Toshiro. He still knew how to read people like his father, however. He could see right through her.

"I don't want things to get out of hand, but I don't want to lose something I know I may need down the road. I just… I want you to know that maybe I've been a little cold to you, and you don't deserve all of it. I did lead you on a lot when we were kids… And that whole not getting married thing, I guess I still held true to that, because, well, I'm not! And God knows I could've been a couple of times. I just… I don't want to turn out like my dad—After he lost his vision in his one eye, he babysat the kids. Sure, he got used to it, but he was miserable for a while. And he was pretty jealous that he couldn't go… I don't want to be stuck at home with a bunch of kids while you're out there fighting! I like the battles, and the bloodshed! Hell, as scary as it sounds, I kind of love it…"

"I don't need kids to be happy," Toshiro sighed, "I like them, but I don't need them. And if there's ever an, well, accident," he began, his face flushing at this sentence, "then I'll take care of them. I'm the better domestic, anyway—You can't cook worth a damn, and I sure as hell wouldn't marry you for your great cleaning ability."

"That's because I always had one of the guys or Fujiko do it for me," replied Yukiko, sticking out her tongue.

Toshiro lifted himself off of the ground, and walked over to her. He kneeled downward in front of her chair, and placed a hand on the back of her neck, and moved her inward. He kissed her, and for once, it wasn't at the wrong moment, as he had been known to do in the past.

"Merry Christmas," said Yukiko quietly.

"Merry Christmas to you, too, Yuki," Toshiro answered, embracing her and for once in years feeling like he was somewhere he belonged.

Downstairs:

"I wonder where Yukiko ran off to…" Jigen wondered aloud as he, Lupin and Goemon stood by the punchbowl.

"Probably to drink in private," replied Lupin, "How's the eye, by the way?"

"Twenty-percent vision restored and getting better!" replied Jigen, "They're going to give me a surgery after the New Year that could fully restore vision in my partial-vision eye. And if I watch my ass, I may get up to eighty-percent restored in my blind eye! Seeing my kids'll be a better Christmas gift than a new hunting rifle!"

"That's terrific, Jigen. My doctor told me that I may now lift things up to thirty-pounds in weight," Goemon added, "So I suppose it's a good Christmas for both of us."

"And what about you, Lupin? How've you been coping?" asked Jigen.

"What are you guys talking about?" asked Lupin with confusion.

"Well, impotency can't be easy on someone who was once as active as yourself," added Goemon.

"Im—Fujiko!" Lupin shrieked, and looked back at Mrs. Lupin, who was working on exchanging an empty silver platter for a full one, stocked with fruits and vegetables.

"What? It just came out!" Fujiko replied.

"Jeeze… I'm gonna go check on the kids while you two idiots keep laughing about a simple problem…" Lupin grumbled, turning away from both and walking through the busy room and out to the porch, where Fuji and Leo sat at a table, playing a card game with one another, as if nothing had ever happened between them. Lupin was a little taken aback by this, but slowly and silently backed out, back into the warm living room. The two had a lot to catch up on.

Lupin almost bumped into Max, who also had grown curious as to the whereabouts of the two, "Sorry… I just have to check and see if Leo has my car keys…."

"Leo. That's a good name for him. Ari's a little childish sounding, and he isn't a kid anymore," said Lupin as he looked back at the two.

"Uno!" Fuji shouted.

"Hey, that's not right! You have two cards, and I can see them! You're cheating!" Leo yelled.

"Na-ah!"

"You are! I can see it!" Leo shouted.

Fuji took the other card, and shoved it down her dress, and into her bra, "Now I have one!"

"You always manage to solve things with your chest…" Leo grumbled.

"Um, you sure about that thing… About them growing up?" asked Max worriedly.

"I like to have delusions," replied Lupin, turning away from the window, and walking back out to the party. Max opened the half-closed door enough so he could slide through, and surveyed the two in the middle of their game.

"Blondie, hey! You want to join? A little Uno _ménage trios_?" Fuji chuckled.

"Did I ever tell you that you disgust me?" asked Max.

"Not today," replied Fuji with a bright smile, "Hey, deal him in! So, Zenigata, what'd you get me for Christmas?"

"Jewelry. A nice shiny set of handcuffs," answered Max as Leo dealt him in.

"Hey, you can't arrest me on this property!" replied Fuji cheerily, "Hm… Wow, this isn't a bad hand!"

"Well, now she's got me curious… What'd you get me, Max?" asked Leo as he threw down the first card.

"Oh, I know what it is," replied Fuji with a smile.

"You do?" Max frowned.

"Sure! You got him your ever undying love!" Fuji responded, "Please don't tell me that you don't have at least a little crush on him, Zenigata. It'd be hard not to—I had to chase plenty of girls away from him, and even a few guys!"

"I do not look at Inspector LeBlanc like that and you know it!" said Max angrily.

"Please; you think you're the only one who reads your journal? I'm surprised you don't have little hearts and 'Mrs. Max LeBlanc' written all over the thing!" Fuji chortled.

"Huh?" Leo shot his head up in suspicion, and looked at the uneasy Max questioningly.

"I'm gonna go grab a drink," Max announced, rising from the table, taking his emptied glass along with him.

"You really read that?" Leo gasped.

"Nope—B.S.'d all of it. But it looks like it was true," replied Fuji, "It's probably just a cute little schoolgirl type thing. Although now I know a way you could really make his Christmas," she said with a chuckle.

"I am not—"

"I wouldn't. There's enough of that going around right now," replied Fuji with a sigh.

"Do you realize how annoying you are when you speak cryptically? Do you do it for fun?" asked Leo with annoyance.

"All I'm saying is I say a light go out in a window right now, and I saw someone close a blind. Now, you and I both know what that means," replied Fuji, "I wonder who it is… I'm thinking Ming and Jigen…."

Leo paused, and then removed his wallet, and placed several bills upon the table, "This says that it's Ally and his girl."

"Please! That girl's the closest thing to a nun I've ever seen; could be because she was taught by nuns, but hey… Where'd Max go to get his Sangria, Madrid!?" she wondered with annoyance, "I'm waiting to beat you guys at Uno again!"

Upstairs:

"This is the room I used to stay in when I would visit Lupin, and run jobs in Europe," Ally announced to Carmen as he led her down the hallway and began to open his bedroom door. He stopped, however, when he heard a noise coming from the room next to him. He quickly drew out his gun, and began to creep toward the door, motioning for Carmen to stand behind him.

He paused before opening the door, and heard two yells in unison, "Ah, oh God!" Ally backed out, and slammed the door to a close. He leaned against the doorway, gulped, and pulled his bangs away from his eyes, revealing a set of shocked eyes.

"Allen… What's wrong?" Carmen inquired worriedly, placing a hand upon his shoulder and shaking him gently.

"Um… Nothing…" Ally replied, shaking his head back and forth, "Just… Make sure that none of the little kids work their way up here, okay? Um… Why don't we go down? I'll treat you to a dance."

Carmen placed a hand upon his cheek, and kissed him, "Of course. And I'd like to talk more with your mother, as well."

"Yeah… I need to talk to them… I need to talk to you, too… I was kind of wishing that I had more time to prepare for this…" said Ally nervously.

"What do you mean?" asked Carmen.

"I'm… Well, I guess I mean to tell you that I'm ready," Ally shrugged, "Um, I want to ask you to… Um… I want you marry me…"

"What?" she gasped.

"Yeah—I've got the ring here. I want to announce it downstairs, though," said Ally, revealing a small black box, "I bought it—I didn't even steal it. I really bought this thing!"

"Allen… I…" she gaped as she looked down at the box, "Of course… I…"

"Let's go down and tell them, then!" Ally said excitedly, taking her by the hand and leading her downstairs, "I'll let them know, okay?" he whispered to her as both stood on the steps of the stairs, "Hey, could I get everyone's attention for a couple of seconds?" asked Ally over the loud crowd. All stopped, and looked forward at him, "I just… I wanted everybody to know that I asked Carmen to marry me… And she agreed…. So, I'm getting married!"

"Oh my God," Jigen muttered to himself, holding his head in his hand.

"Jigen, what's wrong?" asked Ming worriedly.

"I just… Someone's actually getting married in my family before they're thirty or because they're pregnant…" Jigen said to himself in shock. He walked toward Ally, and Lupin and Goemon both exchanged uneasy glances as they watched father embrace son.

"Where's Toshiro?" Amaya asked Heiji quietly, "And where's Odori, for that matter?"

"I haven't the slightest clue where Clifford the big red dog is, but if I know Dori, she's probably drinking again…" replied Heiji, "That or she's off with our brothers and sisters…"

"I hope it's the latter," replied Amaya, "She's an awful drunk; worse than me. And that's saying an awful lot."

"The TV's on in the living room…." said Heiji. He walked out into the living room, and saw Odori with their six other siblings on the large couches. Heiji nearly burst out in laughter as he saw she was being forced to watch _Teen Titans _while one of their younger sisters did her hair in a braid.

"Ah, I didn't realize half of Puffy AmiYumi was here!" Heiji said in a chuckle.

"Omae o—"

"I know, I know… You're gonna kill me… Save it, already. It's the holidays!" Heiji said with a smile, "Besides, I got you something…"

"Is it another frog?" Odori asked worriedly, "Don't think that I don't remember what I got from you for last Christmas."

"Nah… I know I've been an absolute bastard to you this year—"

"Undoubtedly."

"And we haven't always gotten along, and sometimes I've been the cause of it…."

"Why'd you stop? I like where this is going," said Odori.

"Ha ha… Well, anyway, here. I found this stuff online for you," he revealed an envelope from his coat pocket, and handed it to her. Odori opened it, and gasped in amazement.

"This is—"

"Those are your birth parents… I know you've been trying to find them for a couple of years now… You're an aunt—Two nephews," said Heiji, "Your older sisters look a lot like you. And you have two brothers, too."

"You mean I have two _more _brothers," replied Odori as she glanced over the family photo, "Do they know I'm a…"

"Yeah. Well, they knew who they were giving you to, so they weren't that surprised," Heiji shrugged, "From what I understand, they tell people that their daughter's an Asian Robin Hood—And that they had nothing to do with it, but they're proud," Heiji explained.

"Thank you, Heiji… I don't know how I can…"

"Eh, don't worry. It's Christmas, remember!? Just don't go getting mushy on me or anything… We bicker, remember?"

"Yes," Odori nodded numbly, and looked downward at the photograph of the farming family. It was scary how much she looked like them; they were almost like clones.

Upstairs, Yukiko's room:

"I hope he didn't go tell Dad…" Yukiko said with worry.

"Why's that?" asked Toshiro.

"Why the hell do you think!?" Yukiko grumbled, "'Jeeze, sorry I had to skip out on the party, Daddy, I was too busy—'"

"You really just can't enjoy the moment, can you?" Toshiro sighed, "We should've locked the door…"

"Well, you're the one who said we shouldn't take things too fast… I didn't think we'd end up going as far as we did!" Yukiko replied, "I can't see a damn thing in this room…"

"Hm… Bad thing about that is…"

"If you even _try _something funny I'll blow off your damn hand," hissed Yukiko. A few moments later there was the sound of a loud 'whap!' in the room, and Toshiro let out a yell of pain, "What'd I tell you?"

"We've got to get back down there, or people will wonder," Toshiro started.

"I'm too tired," Yukiko moaned, and rolled over in the medium-sized bed.

"The damn bed's too short for me, anyway," Toshiro added.

"Then you go down… I'm catchin' some more sleep!" Yukiko yawned.

"No—If I have to suffer, you do, too," Toshiro sat up, and turned on a small light on her nearby desk, "Where'd my shoes go?"

"I swear I saw him go in here—" both heard someone place a hand upon the doorknob, and scrambled to rid themselves of all evidence, but it was too late when Ming opened the door. Behind her stood Amaya, who was equally shocked.

"Mom, I—" Yukiko started.

"Mom! Ming! It… It's not what it looks like!" Toshiro added.

Ming slammed the door to a close, and turned to Amaya, "Should I go in, or do you want to handle this?"

"And say what? They're both adults," Amaya shrugged, "At least they aren't on the kitchen counter, like other people enjoyed."

"You really think it was just the kitchen counter?" Ming smirked wickedly, "There are others areas of this home that are no longer sacred, you know."

"There's a reason you're always pregnant," said Amaya wryly, "What do you say we go downstairs and forget what we saw?"

"Agreed. I see grape juice in my future… Lots and lots of grape juice that I can pretend is wine…" sighed Ming as she and her fellow ex-gang member strolled back down the stairs.

Yukiko and Toshiro exited five minutes later, both looking about suspiciously as they walked down the stairs and to the party. Ming and Amaya looked at the two and smiled knowingly, and Yukiko broke away from Toshiro, hiding her eyes beneath her fedora as she parted from him, leaving Toshiro looking confused.

At another part of the party, Lupin had gone through mingling with family members he had not seen in a while, and noticed one in particular standing near the punch bowl, "Ryo, you look like your cheery self! What's wrong—Someone come out with a new car, and you're not getting it for Christmas? If you tell me what make and model it is, I'll have it here in the morning! Anything for someone as good as my daughter!"

"I'm not sure about that, Lupin," said Ryo, "I let go of him… I couldn't hold on to his memory any longer… I'd just look at him, and I wouldn't see anything."

"Well, Sweetie, sometimes you have to wait for good things to happen to you," said Lupin, glancing at Fujiko, who was speaking with Natasha, "Sometimes it's a long wait… And it's frustrating—Trust me, when I can't get things I want, I throw a fit! And that's because I'm used to getting everything I want."

"I just wanted things to be like they were so bad…" she said quietly.

"I understand. Sometimes I'd give anything just to go out once more and steal something with Jigen, Goemon, Fujiko, Ming and Amaya, and have Pops right at my heels! But now I'm as old as Zenigata was when he was chasing us, and I have to sit back and watch you guys have all of the fun! I don't always like that, but, it's just how it has to be."

"Would you still think the same thing if I told you I think Max has his eye on him?" asked Ryo.

Lupin sighed, "Not really. I kind of had a feeling about that kid to begin with. His mom actually called here one night, and—Never mind. It's all water under the bridge. Now, what do you say to a dance? Those trophies you and your dad won weren't for long-distance shooting, you know! Best ballroom dancers in Chicago!"

"Hm, I'd say okay to that," Ryo replied, smiling and allowing Lupin to lead her out by the hand to the dance floor, "You must've been taking lessons from my father, if you're this good now."

"I get up early out of habit, and this stuff is the only thing on at four A.M.. Fujiko's less than a little happy when I wake her up to be my partner, so I usually settle on our maid," replied Lupin as he spun her about once and brought her back again. He caught a glimpse of Zenigata and Max in the living room as Ryo took her turn spinning him about once.

"And he offered me the job in Romania," Max sighed as he finished his story. Zenigata remained at the dining room table, staring ahead understandingly.

"Why are you leaving Interpol?" asked Zenigata.

"I… I can't say. I'm not allowed to. Leo doesn't know yet, though," answered Max, looking down at the table, "I take the job with Jacob, and become chief of security in his offices, or I'm out on the streets again."

"Either way you've got to inform your partner. It's only decent, Max," said Zenigata with a sigh, "But tell him after this. He's having too much fun now, being home. And I can't blame him a bit for it, either. The poor kid went through hell, and more than made up for something that wasn't even totally his fault. He's suffered a lot over the guilt. He may be a thief, and you know I'm against that, but he's also reformed. The more cynical side of me would say it's an act, but you can just look at him and tell he's sincere."

"I've still got to go give him his Christmas gift. Thanks for listening, Dad. I've got to catch him when he's not screaming at his sister," Max rose from the dining room table, and approached Leo, and led LeBlanc out to the front porch.

"I wanted to give this to you when there wasn't anyone around to hug you and welcome you back, oh Prodigal Son," said Max with a smile, revealing a small box from his pocket and handing it to Leo.

Leo took it from Max, undid the wrappings, and opened it. Inside he found a smash video, shredded paper, and a few disks that looked as though they had been put in the microwave, "It's the evidence from your murder conviction."

"You could be arrested!" Leo gasped.

"It was part of a deal," replied Max with a smile, "You're a free man now, Leo LeBlanc."

"You know, what I got you really sucks compared to this," Leo said with a laugh as he closed the box again, "Hey, come on with me," Leo nodded Max to the back of the house, and led him to the lake. Leo hurriedly ran about the lake, and finally found what he was looking for; an opening in the ice. He threw the package as far as he could, and it splashed into the water, and Leo laughed heartily as he watched it sink to the bottom, "Good bye, Lupin!" he shouted with laughter, "Good bye—I won't miss you at all!" he whooped with laughter, and leaned into Max. Max grew more concerned as the laughter grew into crying, and he embraced Leo tightly.

"It's okay… It's over now, and you're free now," Max said to him quietly.

"I know… Thanks…" Leo replied. He broke away from Zenigata, and smiled, "Thanks for everything, Max. It couldn't have been easy to have stayed friends with me, even if—"

"Hey, it's easier than you think," Max said with a smirk.

Leo smiled, and then was brought back to a memory he had of Max, when they were in a similar situation. It was during the incident with the diamond, when Max had learned about his true identity for the first time. The situation was different in one way, however. At that time, Max had said something which had truly rattled him. It was when he had first suspected something of Max—'To me, you are beautiful' Max had said to him. And he remembered even how he had said it, even now.

Later that Night:

Fuji checked to see if the coast was clear before she jumped off of the roof and onto a nearby tree. She then scaled down this, finally landing on the snowy ground, "Damn that's not the jump it looks to be!" she said to herself as she dusted herself off and looked upward at the tree, "Well, at least the coast is clear…" she turned about, and came face-to-face with a gun, "Spoke too soon… So, Ally, what are you doing out here at this hour? Shouldn't you be cuddling up with someone about now?"

"I'm just enjoying the sights," replied Ally, "Might I inquire as to where you're off to?"

"Taking one of Daddy's cars for a spin," Fuji answered with a smile.

"Cut the crap—What are you really up to, Fuji?" asked Ally.

"I'm doing a solo job," replied Fuji, adjusting her backpack straps and looking upward at Ally severely, "It doesn't concern you. Don't worry, I'll be fine!"

"I don't believe you," said Ally, moving with Fuji as she took a step to make an exit.

"That's too bad," she sighed, and reached upward. She laid a hand upon his neck, and Ally began to feel woozy, and blacked out moments later. He fell to the ground, and Fuji began to drag him up to the back porch, where she left him, "You'll be okay, Ally, don't worry. It wasn't poisonous or anything… Just something to get you out of my hair for a little bit…"

Fuji continued to walk out of the backyard, and eventually walked off of the property, and made herself untraceable from there.

A Week Later:

"Poor Heiji…" Yukiko sighed to Toshiro as both watched the younger Ishikawa board a flight to Hawaii, leaving only them standing in the airport. The older family members had left. Leo had stayed in France. Leo still had no idea that Max was leaving for Romania. Ryo had gone to Japan. Odori had left a little while ago to Korea. Ally had gone with Carmen to Cagliostro. Only they remained, and their flight left to Spain in half an hour, "You want to grab a drink?"

"Yeah," Toshiro nodded, and left the terminal with Yukiko. Both walked into a bar, and Toshiro ordered two glasses of red wine for the two, "She didn't even leave a note."

"Well, the group was starting to split, anyway," replied Yukiko as she sipped her glass of wine, "At least we'll have plenty of time to travel around Europe, now. I just hope to God that that little tin can you drive will be able to make it!"

"Hey, you don't have to ride it if you don't want to," snapped Toshiro.

"The 8:40 flight to Barcelona is now loading," called a woman over the intercom.

"Holy crap, an early flight! I didn't think those things existed!" laughed Yukiko, setting down her glass.

"Well, I guess it's time for us to go, then," Toshiro left a few bills upon the table, and rose with Yukiko. Both walked toward the terminal, showed their tickets, and then they were off. The last of the Lupin gang was gone.

...See You all in the New Year!...


End file.
